Before it Breaks
by resile
Summary: The walls between the universes close before the TARDIS reaches Bad Wolf Bay and the two Doctors and Rose have to learn how to relate to each other now that everything's changed. Eventual OT3.
1. Chapter 1

Thank you to fadewithfury and rointheta for betaing this!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

"Just time for one last trip."

Rose's head shot up at the sound of the Doctor's voice, and her eyes followed as he walked up the ramp of the TARDIS and passed Jackie. He found his way to the TARDIS console, settling between Rose and Donna. "Dårlig Ulv Stranden. Better known as…" He paused, eyes on the monitor. "Wait a second."

"What is it?" Rose asked, glancing at the Doctor in brown.

The other Doctor leaned forward, his shoulder brushing Rose's as he focussed on the monitor. His eyebrows lifted as the corners of his mouth turned down. "Faster than we expected."

"What is?" Rose squinted at the monitor.

"The walls between dimensions are closing at twice the rate of standard quantum chronometric parametres," Donna said, eyes flitting between the two men. "There's no way…"

"No way to what?" Jackie asked.

"I can't take you home," the Doctor in brown said, meeting Jackie's gaze from across the console. "The… the holes, between your universe and this universe, they're too small for the TARDIS to pass through now."

"Didn't expect you to. Just wanted to see Rose off," Jackie said, crossing her arms. "Got our dimension jumpers, don't we?"

"The walls are back in place." The Doctor in brown ran a hand through his hair. "They won't work."

Jackie pulled the slim, yellow cylinder from her pocket, holding it out in front of her and pushing the button. Nothing happened. She pushed it again, then twice more with increasing force, until, finally, she gave up.

"But… Tony and Pete." Jackie's glazed eyes were on the button as Rose approached her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, but not sure of what to say.

"I'm so sorry, Jackie," the Time Lord Doctor said.

"Can't you - I dunno, take us back to a few hours ago when the bloody thing worked?" Jackie asked, squeezing the button between her hands again.

"It doesn't work like that," the blue suited Doctor said.

"Then imake/i it work like that," Jackie said, eyes flashing, and stepping towards the Doctors.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor in blue said.

"Stop saying you're sorry. Put your two heads together and figure something out!" Jackie folded her arms.

Rose's hand fell back to her side and she worried her thumb with her teeth, brow furrowed, as she watched.

"Jackie, the walls between universes exist in a state of achronal stasis. Either they exist, or they're broken down, at every given moment across time and space. If we'd seen them closing, we could have acted. Then. But with the reality bomb diffused… It's as though the walls have been in place all along, now that they're back."

"There's nothing we can do," the other Doctor filled in, as Donna shot her a sympathetic look.

"But.. What am I to do now?" Jackie asked, looking at Rose. "I only wanted to make sure you were safe, that you got back to him all right. I never thought-" She couldn't seem to bring herself to finish and Rose ushered her to the jump seat, sitting down next to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Tony and Pete…" She trailed off. "Can you take me home?" She asked with sudden vehemence, looking up at the two Doctors. "To the estate, I mean. To when I left, before?"

"Ehm." The Doctors looked at one another, then each ran a hand through their hair.

"You were listed as missing," Donna said, filling in the silence. "The Doctor saw to it that you two were… sorted, when you left."

"What's that mean?" Jackie asked.

Rose looked between the fidgeting Doctors and her mother. "It's not ours anymore, is it? We turn up missing and the council assigns our flat to someone else."

Donna nodded, a small, sad smile on her face.

"I don't bloody care whose it is. You take us back to my home the day we left and I can pack it all up, at least, can't I? It's been an age since I've seen one of Rose's baby pictures and if I'll never get to see..." She broke off, stopping again. "I want to get my things."

The TARDIS was silent for a moment, and the two Doctors looked at one another. "Perhaps if we choose a time after we…"

"...But before they…"

They nodded at each other, then looked at Jackie.

"Yes. We can pack your things. And we'll make sure you get settled." The Doctor in blue looked at the other. "Perhaps a quick trip in the TARDIS, to arrange for a home somewhere?"

"But we're missing. Must be presumed dead, yeah," Rose said, rubbing her mother's shoulder. "Can't exactly pop up two years later, can we?"

"I can fix that," the Doctor in brown said. "Take your names off the list. It's a small paradox - nothing the TARDIS can't handle."

"Doctor, that affects you, and Jack, and Martha, who knows who else…" Donna said. "It would be a lot safer to move her somewhere new, give her a new identity. You can't be sure that paradox would be limited to one interaction - and it's too dangerous to put her back in 2007, at least in London. The timelines there are tangled, it'd be reckless to go back-"

"Just take us back there for now, please," Rose said, voice quiet. "We'll go and pack up mum's things and we'll suss the rest out after."

The Doctors nodded, tight and silent, and the part-human one moved forward, flipping a lever into place and engaging the dematerialisation sequence, just as a knock sounded against the TARDIS door.

The part-human Doctor flipped the lever back as it was, exchanging a glance with the Time Lord. Each raised his eyebrows, then looked over at the door again. Donna, meanwhile, looked from one Doctor to the other, then let out a little huff of annoyance, walking to the door of the TARDIS and opening it wide.

"Hello. Is Jackie or Rose in by any chance?"

Jackie's head popped up, a disbelieving grin spreading across her face as she leapt out of the jump seat.

"Pete?"

"Hello, Jacks," he said, smiling, and stepping around Donna into the TARDIS. He held a small boy in his arms, who reached for Jackie as they got closer. He also had a rucksack over both shoulders.

"Oh, c'mere, you," she said, scooping the boy into her arms and holding him close as Pete stood next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Mummy's so glad to see you, Tony."

"How'd you get here, Dad?" Rose asked, standing and moving over to her family. Jackie sighed, a sound of deep relief, and Rose looked over to find her brother was dozing against their mum.

"The readings on our end showed the walls were closing," Pete said. "We sent a signal to your transporters, but you didn't come back. I had to make a snap decision, so I got Tony and made the jump. I arrived a couple of hours ago, but the cannon put me in the middle of Chiswick for some reason. Luckily the transporters are still linked to one another, even with the base connection gone. Tracked you on foot, Jacks."

"You left everything behind?" Jackie asked.

"Got the emergency kit from my office - passports, jewelry, change of clothes." He shrugged. "Think it's better this way, eh? I know you couldn't bear to leave Rose behind, and we all knew she wasn't coming back." Pete glanced over at the Doctors, then did a double take. "Lookit that, there's two of you now."

The Doctor in blue jerked his head in a wink.

"Three, really," Donna said, rejoining the Doctors by the console. "It's a long story. And you arrived just in time. We were about to take Jackie to fetch her things. Would've been gone moments later. Addio per sempre!"

"Well!" The Time Lord Doctor pulled a lever, re-starting the sequence. "No reason we can't let you pack up your things anyway, hm? Then we'll find you somewhere to settle. How do you feel about the south of France?"

"No complaints from me," Jackie said, grinning, and adjusting Tony's position on her hip.

"You're not to go anywhere when we land," the part-human Doctor said, pointing a finger at Jackie around the console. "You're missing. No one should come 'round the flat to look for you, but you can't risk going out. Understood?"

"All right, no need to get tetchy," Jackie said, rolling her eyes.

They materialised inside the Tyler flat a moment later, the TARDIS landing smoothly. Jackie and Pete headed down the ramp, and Rose followed, watching through the doorway of the TARDIS as her mum showed Pete the changes to their old flat.

"I thought we could try the planet Felspoon after this is sorted," Donna said to the Doctors. "Just because."

The two Doctors shared a long look and the one in blue walked over to Rose, standing close behind her. "Go ahead. We'll just take a quick trip and find your family a new place to live. Come back, deed in hand, before you can even blink."

"Promise?"

He nodded.

"Both of you?" Rose met the Time Lord Doctor's eyes where he stood at the console.

He nodded tightly and when he spoke his voice was a croak. "Promise."

"Can hardly leave you in 2007!" Donna said brightly. "Not without a paradox that could blow us halfway to Venus. We'll be right back. Then! Then we can go to Felspoon. What a good name, Felspoon. Apparently, it's got mountains that sway in the breeze. Mountains that move. Can you imagine? You wait and see, it'll be great, Rose, won't it, Doctors? Till then: off you go!"

With a lingering glance, Rose turned and left the TARDIS, joining her family, and trying not to cringe at the sound of the timeship fading away.

* * *

"So why's there two of them, now?" Jackie asked as she stirred a cube of sugar into her tea. The two of them sat on the sofa, Jackie occasionally casting a smiling glance at Pete, who shuffled by every so often as he packed the Tyler personal effects into spare bags, Tony in tow.

"Something about some crisis, and his hand. Y'know, the one the Sycorax chopped off," Rose said, staring down into her cup. "Dunno exactly. There wasn't much time. First with the Daleks and all, and then towing the Earth back and dropping everyone off..." She sighed, leaning forward and placing her mug on the coffee table. "I'm not sure I'd understand the explanation anyway."

Jackie's brow furrowed. "'Course you would, sweetheart. All that training you've had - could hardly understand a word you said when you were explaining the dimension cannon. Don't you go forgetting that just because you're back with himself." She squinted as if in thought. "Himselves, I suppose. Which one's the real one? The one in brown, yeah?"

"They're both real, I think." Rose pursed her lips, thinking, until she shook her head. "They're both the Doctor."

"How can they both be real?"

"Well, you heard them. Both sound like him to me," Rose said, sitting back on the sofa and propping a foot on the coffee table.

"Shoes," Jackie said, poking Rose in the thigh.

"Mum, we're leaving here forever, and everyone thinks we're dead. No one's going to notice if the table's got a bit of dirt or a scuff."

Jackie turned, facing Rose fully, and narrowed her eyes. Rose sighed and moved her foot back onto the floor.

"I oughta call your gran," Jackie said, sitting up straighter.

"Mum, you can't-"

"Well, there's no need to worry her! She's half-senile; no one'll notice if she's talking like she knows we're still alive."

Rose frowned. "Wait for them to get back. Then we can ask."

"It's just a phone call." Jackie rolled her eyes. "He - they - won't even know."

"They might, you don't know that. And I've seen a paradox-" Rose cast a nervous glance at Pete as he passed from the bedroom into the bathroom. "It's not worth it. If there's a way to tell her we're fine, the Doctors will know. They'll want us to, if we can. If it's what we want. We'll ask, okay?"

"Oh, 'the Doctors,' is it? Just like that? First he changes his face, now he pops up with a clone one day, and it's all the same to you?"

Rose took in a deep breath and let it out in frustration, looking away.

"Jumpers?" Pete asked, popping his head into the corridor.

"What's that, love?" Jackie sat up straighter, craning her neck to look over at him.

"Shall I pack your jumpers?"

"Jumpers, mummy!" Tony echoed.

She paused for a moment, taking a long sip of her tea, then shook her head. "I hated those bloody jumpers. Had them for an age, too. No, leave them." She looked over at Rose, as Tony ran with a screech back into the bedroom and Pete followed. "What, then. They're both him, and you'll travel with both of them?"

"Yeah, I guess," Rose said, picking up her mug and taking another sip.

"And the blue one - he's human?"

"Part-human."

"Part-human?"

"S'what he said in the TARDIS, when we were towing the Earth back."

"How can you be part-human?"

"Dunno."

"What's the difference, between that and the Time Lord one?"

"Dunno."

"Cause I reckon the human one might be the better pick, Rose."

"Mum-"

"I'm just saying! He's still the Doctor, like you said. Maybe he's the better version."

"Mum." She worried her lip for a second, then turned towards Jackie on the sofa. "You know what it took to get back here. You iknow/i. I've only just got him - them - back. It's not time to sit here thinking about which one's better. They're both him. That's what matters."

"I'm just trying to be practical. You might think about what this means, there being two of him."

She clenched her eyes shut for a second. "Like what."

"Well, can the human one-"

"Part-human."

"-Part-human, then. How human is he, exactly? Can he give you a family someday?"

"That's not-" Rose bit her lip, turning away, and studying a speck on the wall. "I don't know," she said, after a moment.

"Then you ought to find out."

"I've told you - we weren't even like that. I can't just assume-"

"Rubbish. I saw what you did, getting back to him. You might try to fool him, let him get comfortable again, but you're not fooling me."

"I just want to…" Rose squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again. "Haven't even had a chance to talk to him properly, have I? Not either of them. And here you are, ready to make us a nursery in the south of France."

"I didn't say that."

"Can we just…" She grimaced. "Just leave it. Okay?"

"Fine," Jackie said with a dramatic sigh, but shot Rose a small smile when she caught her eye again.

"All done!" Pete said, grinning, and walking into the room. He dropped a large duffel next to the sofa, then collapsed in the small space between Jackie and the arm rest. She grunted out a protest, but he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in tight. Tony came barrelling down the corridor, headed right at his parents, but Rose held her arms out to him and he altered course, crashing into her instead, and flinging himself over her outstretched arms in such a manner that she had to pull him up to stop him hitting his head on the table.

"Easy there," she said, picking him up and putting him on her lap.

"So we're set, then?" Jackie asked, looking over Pete's shoulder at the duffel on the floor.

"Got clothes, all your jewelry, photos, a few films, toiletries…" Pete paused. "We'll have to get me a few things. Shame you didn't keep my old clothes, Jacks. Think I'd still look good in acid wash."

"Shame you wouldn't fit in them." Jackie jerked, then squeaked. "Oi, don't pinch!"

Rose moved over to the very edge of the sofa, pulling Tony along with her. After a moment of wiggling, they were settled so snugly that Rose was ready to get up if not for the finally calm four year old on her lap. Pete reached over and grabbed the remote, turning on the telly.

"Oh," Pete said. "Lookit that. Is Alan Carr still alive in this universe?"

"He was in 2007, anyway," Jackie said.

"Oh, that's right. It's 2007 here. Wow." Pete laughed. "I should invest in Apple, or Twitter, or…"

"Invest what, you duffer? Ain't even got your acid wash." Jackie shifted her body towards Rose. "Have we got to stay in 2007? Can't the Doctor bring us back to 2014?"

"Suppose so, but you'll need to ask them."

"Where is he anyway-"

The unmistakable whooshing sound of the TARDIS filled the room, interrupting Jackie and sending a breeze across the lounge that ruffled the mail on the coffee table. Rose whispered in Tony's ear about the meaning of the sound, pointing as the TARDIS materialised in the corner of the room, and holding him close, urging him not to be scared. Tony stared, wide-eyed, a grin spreading across his face. A moment later, the door opened wide, and the Doctor in blue popped his head out.

"Hello! Need any help with the bundles?" he asked, a smile on his face.

Rose couldn't stop herself from grinning, and she stood slowly, making sure Tony righted himself, before she grabbed two bags off the floor and marched toward the TARDIS. The Doctor raised his eyebrows at her with a grin as she walked by, but she paused, noticing his eyes were a little red. He gave her a smile and a wink and held the door open wide (even though it didn't need to be held open at all and he was kind of in the way, in fact,) and she rolled her eyes good-naturedly, heaving the duffle bag farther up her body and stepping inside.

Walking up the ramp, she looked up to see the Doctor in brown at the console, hands propped against it, arms straight, back tense, and head bowed. She glanced around the room in search of Donna, but he was the only one there.

"Hey." Rose dropped the bag lightly on the floor, under one of the coral struts. "Where's-"

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Donna's… she's gone home. For a bit."

"Oh. She seemed so…" Rose trailed off. "No 'Velspoon'?"

"No."

"Oh. Did something-"

"Here we are!" The other Doctor and Pete stomped into the TARDIS, laden with several heavy-looking bags. Jackie followed, a rucksack on one shoulder, holding Tony's hand.

"Ah," the Doctor in brown said, straightening up and glancing at his twin. "Is there more?"

"Nope!"

"Right."

The Doctor at the console threw a lever into place and the part-human version joined him, hitting several buttons in quick succession. As the TARDIS started to wheeze, they fell into step together, dancing around the console and crossing paths several times before sliding in front of this button or that. Concerned with being in the way, Rose moved to stand next to Jackie and reached down, smoothing a hand over Tony's hair.

"Weird," Jackie whispered at Rose.

She tilted her head, watching the Doctors move in tandem. "It's a bit surreal, yeah. But…"

"But?" Jackie turned her head to look at Rose, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, it's kinda cool, isn't it?" Rose shrugged. "S'like they don't even need to talk, they're so in sync."

Jackie made a sceptical sound in the back of her throat.

"It's pretty cool, Jacks," Pete said, chuckling.

The TARDIS landed a moment later, barely shaking at all, and Rose thought of the frequent, jostling landings, about the new knowledge that they had, in fact, been due to the timeship's need for more than one pilot. The Doctor in blue jumped forward again, scrambling towards the door and holding it open again with an eager look on his face as her family stepped out of the TARDIS. The other Doctor remained at the console, watching silently, and when Rose met his eyes, he nodded towards the open door and exiting family with a jerk of his head, but his smile didn't reach his eyes.

She frowned, brow furrowing. "Are you-"

"Rose!" Jackie shouted from outside the TARDIS. "Come here! You need to see this."

Worrying her lip with her teeth, Rose took a few steps towards the Doctor and held out her hand. He glanced down, then up at her face, and she saw him swallow. Finally, he took her hand, his fingers soft against her skin, and she squeezed, rubbing her thumb against the back of his hand. She tugged him lightly and they left the TARDIS together.

They'd landed in the living room of a roomy yet quaint home. Large, white-framed windows lined two of the four walls, letting in streaks of golden light, and exposing a verdant green field on one side and a quiet road on the other. The lounge was decorated with a few pieces of furniture: a comfortable looking fabric sofa in front of a sleek flat screen, a coffee table, and a dining table in one corner of the room, surrounded by six chairs. The lounge opened into a roomy, breezy looking kitchen, where Tony was already opening the fridge and grabbing out a juice box with Pete's assistance.

As Rose stepped out into the bright room, the Doctor in blue met her eyes from across the room with a big smile, and the Doctor next to her released her hand, shoving his into his pockets before she could recapture it.

"Welcome to Carcans!" said the part-human Doctor.

"Carcans?" Rose asked, folding her arms and looking around.

"Gironde! Southwestern France. Well known for the Côte d'Argent beach, just a couple of miles away. iBrilliant/i surfing. Not to mention the Great Dune of Pyla's nearby - tallest sand dune in all of Europe."

Jackie trailed around the edges of the room, peering out windows, but Rose could see her attention was on the Doctor's words.

"This area's also home to the Bordeaux wine region. World renowned."

"We don't speak French, y'know," Jackie said, returning to the centre of the room and sitting down on the sofa. Her voice was warm even as she narrowed her eyes at the Doctor in blue, who leaned against the wall next to her.

"Well," he replied, running a hand through his hair, "see how you like it. You can always move. The deed's in there." He jerked his head towards an envelope on the dining room table. "Passports and debit cards, too. And the house is fully equipped - food, linens, the works. Three bedrooms, an office, and a BMW out front. Everything you'll need to get on your feet."

"How'd you manage that?" Pete asked, lifting Tony to sit at the dining room table with his juice.

The Doctor in brown cleared his throat. "Made a few choice investments in your name, a few decades ago. Arranged for the house through a solicitor. Still, you can move wherever you like, so long as you use the IDs in that envelope; not your real ones. You have common enough names that we've kept those the same, but you'll want to memorise you new birth dates."

"Have you got an investment portfolio I can look at?" Pete asked.

"Online. There's a computer in the office, if you want to see."

Pete nodded and followed the Doctor in brown as he headed down the corridor towards the office. Jackie stood and called Tony over to her, following the pair, and telling Rose over her shoulder that she was checking on Tony's and her room. Rose moved over to the sofa, sitting down, and the other Doctor sat next to her, his long legs poking up in sharp angles at the knees. She toyed with her hands nervously in her lap and he reached over, grabbing one, and twining their fingers. They sat quietly, listening to Jackie's pleased exclamations echoing from the hall.

"Something happened to Donna," Rose said after a long moment.

"Yeah." He let out a long breath. "The human brain… It's delicate. It's not… not meant to have a Time Lord's level of knowledge. It was - burning her up. She couldn't take it."

Rose gasped, squeezing his hand involuntarily. "So she's-"

"Oh," he turned to look at her, eyebrows raised, "No. She's home. She's fine. Totally fine."

"Oh, thank god."

"She just… we… well, he, he was the one who…" He swallowed audibly. "She doesn't remember us. Travelling with us. The TARDIS, none of that. We… he. He had to remove her memories of that. All of it. To save her."

Rose sat in silence for a moment, thinking about Donna's kindness, and her excitement, and the way she flourished through travelling with the Doctor. About how she hadn't seen the potential in herself, in the pocket universe, until the very end. "I'm so sorry, Doctor."

"Yeah." He squeezed her hand. "But she'll - she'll have a good life. I think."

"She will. She's good, that one."

"The best."

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"I just thought - you should know, where she is. Why she's- He doesn't want to talk about it." He let out a dry laugh. "Neither do I. Haven't changed that much. But I thought you should know."

"Thank you." She paused for a long moment. "But you're- part-human. It won't affect you like that, the metacrisis-"

"No. I'm mostly Time Lord. Little spark of human. Not a problem. Just- the other way around. It couldn't really work."

"Okay." She nodded to herself. "Okay."

The Doctor in brown reappeared in the corridor, walking briskly into the living room. Rose released the other's hand, casting him a guilty look.

"So, they like the bedrooms?" Rose asked, toying with her earring.

"Think so." He clenched his jaw, averting his eyes. "Look, there are… three bedrooms here. You could stay. If you want."

"What? Don't be ridiculous," Rose said.

"I mean, both of you," the Doctor said, still not meeting her eyes. "You could both stay. And have a life here. A good life."

"No."

"He'd stay with you," the Doctor continued, sitting down on Rose's other side, hunching, and putting his forearms on his knees. "Tell her."

The Doctor in blue looked away as well, running a hand through his hair. "Well, if you iwanted/i to stay, I'd…"

"I already said no. Absolutely not. I'm not leaving either one of you."

"Right," said the Doctor in blue.

"He's part-human. You should just consider-"

"I'm not staying here. I'm sure the room will be lovely for a visit if I feel like sleeping outside the TARDIS. Okay?"

The Doctor was silent for a long moment, still hunched and tense, until he released a long sigh of defeat. "Yeah."

"Brilliant." She stood, turning away from the Doctors before allowing herself to exhale deeply. "I'm going to go tell my family we're leaving."


	2. Chapter 2

Betas: fadewithfury and rointheta

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

When they left the new Tyler home soon after, the many hours Rose had been awake weighed on her. Before departing, Jackie had made them promise to return in a few days, stuffing them full of sandwiches, despite Rose's reminders that the TARDIS was well-stocked, and Jackie didn't even know where the nearest grocery was.

In the console room, Rose had glanced at each of the Doctors, who'd studied her with identical serious expressions. The TARDIS was too quiet, now, without Donna or the others who'd filled the place with raucous celebration only hours ago. The silence stretched out around them as soon as they dematerialised. It was suddenly daunting, the thought of how to put things together again, when she'd been aiming to recapture what they had before. So Rose did the sensible thing: she let out a gigantic yawn and said she was off to bed.

Some things were better left to the morning, relatively speaking.

She hadn't even thought to ask if her room was still there, and was halfway down the corridor leading to her old room before uncertainty filled her. She pressed on and found the familiar door right where she expected. Holding a palm to the dark wood for a second, she opened the door and her throat tightened.

Rose took a moment to look around, at the dirty clothes strewn about, and the excessively pink duvet draped half on the bed and half across the floor. It felt like it belonged to another life, one where she was young and messy and oblivious and only concerned with the next adventure. Her room back in Pete's world had been small, mostly empty, and very, very tidy. The sight of all her old things - alien knick knacks, photos of her and the Doctor stuck in the frame of her mirror - made her feel old.

She pulled off the duvet and top sheet, sniffing them to be sure they were fresh (they were). Rose made the bed in quick, neat motions. She peeled off her jacket and trousers and removed her bra from under her shirt. Sparing a glance at her pyjama drawer, she shook her head, and turned down a corner of the bedspread, climbing under.

She was asleep within minutes.

* * *

The next morning, the TARDIS shower was a welcome homecoming, its perfectly warm water cascading from multiple shower heads and massaging her tight muscles until she felt like maybe she could face the day. That, and there was nothing like 25th century bath products.

After, she pulled on the tightest pair of jeans she could find, which settled low across her hips, and grabbed one of the hoodies from her closet. Had she really had so many? She tended towards functional jackets now, but today comfort was key. The hoodie was pink and soft and, gratefully, even more comfortable now that it fit loosely. And her trainers, at least, fit as she remembered.

Fiddling one last time with the waistband of her jeans (she'd spent five minutes staring at her belts in consternation before deciding not to wear one), Rose left her room, heading towards the galley.

She slowed her steps, looking closely at the grated floor and the coral walls and every tiny detail she thought she'd memorized but knew now she'd never really captured. She took a deep breath, then swallowed, and forced herself to speed up, to walk at a normal pace, to ignore the sense of surreality threatening to swamp her at the thought of finally being back, with twice as many Doctors as she'd left behind. Still, not even the strange uncertainty about what two of him would mean for them could eclipse her deep joy at being home.

In the galley she found the Doctor standing at the stove top, poking at a rather impressive fry up in a pan. He was dressed in the blue suit, but then he was wearing a light blue oxford under his shirt as well as a reddish-brown, floral patterned tie. Really, once he'd changed clothes, how was she supposed to know?

"Hello," he said with a smile, catching her eye. "You slept a long time. Nearly ten hours, I think. Not iquite/i sure. Still getting used to my new time sense. It feels a bit less, well, sensitive than the one I had before."

Definitely the part-human one.

"Morning," she said, sitting down at the modest eat-in table a little ways down along the opposite wall. It was set with two napkins, two knives, and two forks. From her vantage point she could see his lean, elegant frame as he grabbed a tomato, cut it in half, and placed both halves face-down in the pan.

"You still like fried bread more than toast, right?"

She couldn't stop the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "You're making me breakfast?"

He bobbed his head. "Well, not ijust/i you. Us. Ehm... Whoever wants some."

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah. Fried's good. Whatever's easiest."

He hummed in acknowledgement and tossed the toast into the pan with a flourish, pretending as though he wasn't looking for her reaction out of the corner of his eye.

"Y'know I can tell when you're showboating."

"Me? Nah." He jerked the pan in a perfect arc and the eggs, sausage, and toast flipped, landing with a small thwack. "Say, have you ever tried sujuk?"

"What's that?"

"Turkish sausage. Goes rather nicely with a fried egg. Sliced."

"No. Why, have you got any?"

He tilted his head, then frowned. "No. Just English sausages. Actually, I might have some from the planet Meere, but they're made from these, er, sea snails." He turned down the corners of his mouth. "They're not bad though."

"Eugh. No."

"What about pancakes? Maybe... the American kind, with maple syrup?"

"Yeah, I like those all right."

"I can make them. I have the-" He moved away from the stovetop and started sifting through a nearby cabinet. "At least, I think I have- If I can find the flour-"

"Doctor."

"Hm?" He turned around, hands stuck in the top shelf.

"Think the eggs and sausage and tomato and fried bread'll be fine."

"Oh." He lowered his arms, stepping back and looking into the pan. "It's - It's a lot of food, isn't it."

She chuckled. "Yeah. I mean, not that I don't like a full English, but… Y'know. It doesn't need Turkish sausage and American pancakes and alien sea snails."

He nodded, as if to himself. "Right. Right. Ehm… Tea? This'll be ready in a minute."

"Yeah, that'd be great."

The Doctor moved over to the opposite counter, which was next to the table at which Rose was seated. He flicked on the kettle and grabbed two mugs and two tea bags. Rose watched as he poured the water a moment later. He appeared deep in concentration, measuring the sugar with a small spoon, adding a perfect splash of milk, and stirring first one, then the other, and then the first again. When he placed both mugs on the table and turned back towards the stove, she grabbed one and pulled it near, breathing in the fragrant steam. She stared down into the cup, her perspective shifting between the bottom of the mug and her own eyes, reflected. She bit her lip. Seconds later, a plate appeared in front of her.

"Wow," Rose said, "this smells amazing."

"Yeah, I ran a restaurant once for a couple of weeks in the 1970s. Well. Head chef, but politically, I was definitely in charge. Funny story, actually." The Doctor settled his own plate in the spot next to her, sat down, and tucked in, not bothering to elaborate.

Rose let out a little huff of laughter, looking away, and grabbed her knife and fork. They ate in silence for a few minutes and she snuck glances at him between gulps of her perfectly-brewed-tea. When she finished the last bites, the Doctor was already up next to her, gathering her plates and silverware and carrying them over to the sink. He sat down again a minute later, his legs crossed at the ankle, evaluating her with a contemplative look.

"What."

"Hm?" He raised his eyebrows, all feigned innocence.

"Just… you're staring."

"It's… really nice, is all. You sitting here again. But it takes a little getting used to, hm?"

She laughed, averting her eyes and looking up at nothing. "You're telling me."

She let the seconds of silence collect between them again, ignoring the way he was still just watching her with relaxed eyes. Finally, she met his stare again and leaned forward in her chair, placing her forearms on the table and positioning her body towards him.

"Okay, can you tell me what this 'metacrisis' thing is? Is that weird, if I just ask like that? Cause, you seem really…"

"What?"

"You. Really you. And so does…"

"The other me."

"Yeah, and, that's… I'm-" She struggled, lifting one hand uselessly in the air.

"It's- too weird?" His face fell.

"No, that's not it. It's- Look, the more Doctors, the merrier, as far as I'm concerned, but I just…" She grimaced, biting her lip, as she tried to put words to the feelings of utter strangeness. "I want to know why. What's- what's the difference? Between you and-"

"Oh, that," he said, looking relieved. "Not much, really. In most ways we're exactly the same. Just a few things."

She raised her eyebrows, wordlessly asking for elaboration.

"Well, the time sense, as I said. That's dulled a bit. I suspect the telepathy may be as well. Can sense him a little, just a sort of presence at the back of my mind. But then I was always a weak telepath, for a Time Lord, so it may be the same for him. Ehm. Well. Then there's the single heart thing."

"What, really?" Rose leaned forward, pressing a hand to his chest without thought.

He smiled, a little half-smile that curled into a full one as he leaned into her touch. Beneath the layers of fabric, she could just barely feel the soft, slow beat of a single heart. She pressed her hand more firmly and focussed on the feel of it, staring at her hand on his chest, and losing herself for a second in the first real difference between the two men.

"I can tell." She looked up at him and found him watching her, that soft smile still on his face.

"Yeah."

She removed her hand and he caught it with his, giving it a squeeze. She squeezed back, then brought her hand back to her mug, taking a sip of her tea.

"So if you're the same, you two, then why's it just you in here making me breakfast?"

He looked away, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I knew I wouldn't, so I did."

"Yeah, this is pretty weird," she said, shaking her head.

"He's - we're -" He sat up straighter, looking at her carefully. "I'm fairly certain he's taking what happened with- He's the one, who had to, and that makes a difference, I think, and-"

"Yeah."

"And- since I know, what I'd do, I also know what I can do differently. And I also know that he knows what he'd do - we'd do, really - and that's all the more reason for him to do what he's doing, since he knows - we both know - what I'll do. Blimey. That too confusing?"

"No, I get it. I understand."

"And I wanted to. Maybe it's a little easier, for me. Reaching out. Because I'm feeling less- or maybe it is a product of that spark. I'm not sure. But I thought about you waking up, and I know how you get - all snappy and in immediate need of tea. And I wanted to make you breakfast. So I did."

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Thank you."

"Anyway!" he said brightly, changing the subject. "There's still a lot I don't know. I've run a few tests, but there's more to work out. It'll take some time. I do know a few basics have changed. For one thing, I need a lot more sleep."

"Yeah? What, maybe more than once a week now?"

"Mm. Might need to every night. Slept almost four hours last night and I even feel like I could sleep a bit more. Particularly after what was, as you pointed out, quite a hearty breakfast." He yawned, then scrunched up his nose. "I've never personally felt the effects of a glucose crash before now, so that's new."

"Add it to the list, yeah?"

"Oh, yes. We'll puzzle it all out." He stretched in his chair, the blue suit jacket riding up and exposing his waistband and the bottom of his tucked oxford as he lifted his arms.

"Anything else?" Rose asked, forcing herself to stop staring.

He lowered his arms, crossing them as he thought for a second. "There was a touch of Donna in my speech patterns at first, but that seems to have dissipated. Far as I can tell, I'm something like ten percent human. I'll need to sleep a bit more, stay hydrated, make sure I don't get poisoned, maybe take a multivitamin, but otherwise..." He shrugged. "I'm mostly the same."

She chewed on her bottom lip.

"What?" he asked.

"It was the hand, from the fight with the Sycorax? You were. That hand."

"Yeah. It happened when Donna touched it. Because of the regeneration energy he funnelled into it."

"So you're… made of a hand. Did you grow from it? Or…" She shook her head, clearing the image. "What's the difference, between a metacrisis and, say, a clone? Not - not that it matters, if you are, or you're not-" She rubbed at her forehead, clenching her eyes shut. "I'm sorry. That was stupid of me. I wasn't thinking. I'm not calling you a clone."

"No. Rose, it's fine." He leaned forward, expression earnest. "I think, philosophical debates aside, the easiest way to look at is that… a clone's generally created through growing another organism from the DNA of the original, but it's a new creature. It usually takes a while. If I were a clone, I wouldn't have my memories, my knowledge, my feelings- Everything I was, before that Dalek interrupted us, I still am."

"Right. 'Course." She grabbed his hand, trying to reassure him.

"Although," he said, "there are ways to imprint a clone with the memory of its source being. There are a lot of ways for consciousness to be moved, or copied. Like, there are a number of societies where one can upload the entire contents of their consciousness into a hard drive and live simultaneously as an incorporeal essence in a machine when they dream. They update their files on the cloud with their real life experiences every night… Or some planets allow the elderly to upload into an android, which can be replaced every fifty years, or even placed into an artificial planet with their loved ones, essentially forever."

"What, like some sort of e-heaven?"

"There are worse things. Look." He angled his knees toward her, looking at her seriously. "There is a lot of room for debate. On what makes someone who they are. On what it means to be someone, or to be a mere copy. Is that android still the person she was before? Or that clone? What if the original model's still around? Does changing or adding or subtracting mean that they're not real anymore… And I'd understand if-"

"I'm not saying-"

"Rose. This is a big adjustment. I - we - both of us, we know that. And if you decided it iwas/i too much…"

"It's not. Okay?"

"I wouldn't blame you."

"Doctor. You know how I was travelling with that - that dimension cannon?"

He tilted his head back, looking as though she'd caught him off guard, but he nodded.

"I spent a lot of time, looking for you. I've been … to a lot of places. Different times, different universes. I've seen a lot of parallel versions of people I know, not even counting Pete or Rickey. I even saw a couple of you, in pocket universes." He opened his mouth as if to interrupt, but she continued. "I'd rather… I'd rather tell you both about that. Sometime. If that's okay." He nodded and she continued. "So, yeah, it's a bit weird, there being two of you. But… you don't need to worry. I'm not trying to philosophise; I've seen too much. Too many mes and yous and mums and dads and - I'm simple, yeah? If you look like you and sound like you-" She stopped, worrying her lip. "Scratch that, actually. That's not even… I just mean. If you tell me you're you, and you know how I take my tea, and your hand feels right in mine." She squeezed it. "That's all that matters."

He swallowed and nodded, his eyes shining. She smiled at him and tugged him a bit closer, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tight. It was awkward, the way they were seated next to one another at the table, but his arms found her waist and he pulled her to him, letting out a deep sigh. This close, she could feel that he was much warmer than his counterpart, and she added it to her mental list before she could stop herself. They parted a second later, and he looked at her with such warmth that it made her stomach flip.

"Rose…" He trailed off, eyes wide and shining, and he seemed at a loss.

"Yeah, I know, I'm pretty brilliant."

He chuckled. "That you are."

She released his hand and started to stand, grabbing her empty mug. Then she paused, brow furrowing. "Y'know how you said - he - wouldn't come for breakfast?"

"Yeah?"

She deposited the mug into the sink and moved over to the stovetop, peering into the pan at the leftovers. "Maybe we should bring him something to eat."

"I can almost guarantee you that he'd appreciate that."

She broke into a smile, grabbing a plate from the cupboard and loading it with the remaining sausage links and pieces of bread. She shot him a sly look; his posture was casual, relaxed. "That why you made enough for three, then?"

"Well. I wouldn't want to be rude."

"You?"

"Yes, me. It's important to feed oneself properly. No matter how many selves one has."

She laughed, plucking a fork and knife from the silverware drawer and jerking her head in the direction of the doorway.

* * *

They found him seated on the floor in the console room, legs dangling where he'd lifted a panel of grating, his glasses perched on the tip of his nose. He was holding a small, round, metal object with one hand and pressing a soldering iron to it with the other, deep in concentration.

"What's wrong with the time phase oscillator?" the other Doctor asked, plopping down next to the Time Lord and narrowing his eyes.

"It's fine. She's just a bit tired after towing the Earth. It might need to be replenished. Here, have a look." He handed his counterpart the soldering iron and the round object and stood, brushing off his trousers.

"Glasses?" the Doctor in blue asked, eyes on the TARDIS part, hand outstretched. He hummed his thanks as the other handed over the specs. "Rose brought you breakfast."

The Doctor in brown walked over to her, taking the plate, and thanking her with a small smile. He sat at the jump seat, leaning forward and balancing the plate on a flat-ish span of TARDIS console. Rose sat next to him on the very edge of the seat.

"So a trip to Traemaria, then." The Doctor in blue held the oscillator close to his face, turning it in his hand and touching it with the soldering iron here and there.

"Yep," the Doctor said around a bite of sausage, which he was eating with his hands instead of the knife and fork Rose had provided. She rolled her eyes. "Not a bad place to visit."

"Can think of a thing or two Rose might like to see. But the coating looks a bit worn. She'll be able to make the trip? You checked the thermocouplings as well?"

"Shouldn't be a problem. The diametre of the coating is still three quarters of a centimetre."

"Apart from a patchy spot or two."

"It'll be fine." He paused, a slice of fried bread in his hand, his elbow on the console. "Might want to make you a screwdriver before we go."

"I've got it," the Doctor in blue said. He leaned forward, replacing the oscillator under the grating, and moving the grated panel back into place. When he stood, he found the opposite side of the console and pressed several buttons.

"And give me back my specs."

"You know, I may actually need them."

"Too bad."

"You don't even-"

"You can get your own. On Traemaria. Very shortly. So give them back."

"Wait, you don't even need them?" Rose asked, glancing at the Doctor in brown. "You wear them a lot, Doctor."

"Nope!" the Doctor in blue said from across the console, expression cheeky. "He just likes the way it looks. Which is why I'm keeping them."

"That's not-" The Doctor frowned. "They provide a bit of magnification that's often useful, even if my vision doesn't need correction."

"Mine's 20/10, at best. Your visual acuity is at least twice that. I'm keeping them."

The Doctor in brown huffed, rolling his eyes. "Fine, then. You'll be the one to pick up a second pair, then."

"Fine."

"So!" The Doctor in brown stood, empty plate in his hand. "I'll be right back to put this away while he makes himself a sonic screwdriver. And then... How are you feeling? Rested? Think you're up for a quick trip?"

"'Course." She grinned at the Doctors. "Let's go see Traemaria!"


	3. Chapter 3

Betas: fadewithfury and Rointheta  
Warnings: Short description of graphic violence.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"What sort of place is Traemaria?" Rose asked. She was manning a section of the TARDIS console as directed, while the two Doctors piloted, moving seamlessly around her.

"Lovely little planet, mostly made up of the two great twin cities. Ahia and Nri, they're called," the Doctor in blue answered. "One's got food, jewelry, clothes… center of consumer trade. The other's the center of industrial trade. Machinery, fuel, spare parts… And a great place to get Traemarium."

"Traemarium?"

"For the time phase oscillator," the other Doctor said. "A coating of traemarium keeps it working properly, and it's nearly worn off. The TARDIS can do most anything, but she's not designed to tow planets. Not without a bit of maintenance after, anyway. The whole planet's named after the stuff; it's the chief export. Not the only place in the universe to get it, but..."

"...When the planet's named after it," the other added, "safe bet the stuff's in stock. Hold tight, Rose!"

The TARDIS rocked several times, then came to a stop with a crash, and Rose was almost thrown to the grating, but the Doctor in brown caught her. His hand curled around her waist and his fingertips dug into the fabric of her hoodie.

"Easy," he said.

"Thanks." She looked up at him, smiling, but he released her, standing up straight, brushing off his suit jacket, and tugging at the seams.

"Ready?" The part-human Doctor grinned at Rose just as the TARDIS console made a 'dink' noise and popped out another sonic screwdriver. He plucked it from its docking station and twirled it in his hand before putting it in his pocket. Rose nodded, glancing between the two men.

The Doctor in brown walked towards the TARDIS doors first, moving around Rose and the other Doctor in brisk steps, and opened the door. The part-human Doctor wiggled his eyebrows at her and gestured with his head for her to follow. The smile spread across her face again as she complied and the Doctor in blue followed her out.

When she stepped out onto the orange pavement, she found that the TARDIS was parked in the cool shade provided by a great, domed building. It resembled the Taj Mahal, only without any minarets, and was set in what looked like green marble, glittering in the light provided by two white suns on opposite sides of the sky. Rose spun slowly, taking it in, as people who appeared to be human shuffled around her, flowing in and out of the great building's tall, wrought iron gates.

In the distance, Rose saw the outline of a city on each side of the dome, one that looked almost European with its short, tudor buildings, the other with large smoke stacks billowing out bright blue smoke, and boxy, flat buildings. Between the domed building and each city was one long, orange road, scattered with a few people walking along. Beyond that, white grassy land stretched out as far as she could see.

When she looked back towards the TARDIS, she found the two Doctors standing next to one another, obviously watching her take it all in, with matching small smiles. Then, the Doctor in brown kicked off the TARDIS with one foot, smile disappearing, and gave Rose and the other a terse nod each.

"You two should go see Ahia." He pointed a finger at the other Doctor. "And pick up some specs."

"Wait," Rose said, brow furrowing. "You're not coming with us?"

"I'll catch up. There's nothing to see in Nri anyway and I'll just get the Traemarium bit out of the way."

"But…" She frowned. "We don't mind. Going with you. I don't mind." She attempted a laugh. "Can't exactly be boring, right, alien worlds, even if it is just a shopping trip."

"Nah," the Doctor said. "What good is two of me if we can't keep you from the boring stuff? Have fun. Try the sufganiyot; they're delicious."

"But... it's my first trip back." She worried her lip and his face softened.

"I'll be right along, soon as I get the Traemarium."

Rose sighed. "All right. Fine."

The Doctor nodded, starting to walk away, when Rose called his name. He turned.

"The cities, they're really far apart. Shouldn't we have some way to contact one another?"

The Doctors glanced at each other, and the one in brown shrugged, digging a hand into the pocket of his coat. He managed to reach in up to his elbow, eyes cast upward and tongue touching his lip in concentration, before he pulled out two small walkie-talkies and tossed one to his counterpart.

"There. They're long-range."

"Right," Rose said. "Okay. Off you go. No dawdling!"

He broke into a smile, nodded, and turned, heading towards Nri.

She was silent for a beat, then looked up at the Doctor in blue, who watched her with warm eyes from his spot by the TARDIS. He stood straighter and walked over to her, holding out the walkie-talkie.

"Here," he said.

She took it from him gingerly and stuck it in the front pocket of her hoodie. He stuck both hands in his pockets and indicated the road towards Ahia with a jerk of his head. She started walking first, hands shoved in the hoodie, one still clutching the walkie-talkie, and she only glanced back once at the brown Doctor's retreating form.

As Rose walked, she snuck a glance at the Doctor every so often. He was all long limbs and angles, dead gorgeous, but he looked a bit skinny without the long coat billowing behind him, and there was a chill in the air. Maybe they could find him an overcoat in the city.

They were silent for the remainder of their walk, but as the skyline grew closer, Rose couldn't help the way her breath quickened, the way the smile on her face spread. After twenty minutes, they reached the entrance to the city, stepping through another pair of large, wrought iron gates into the bustle.

Now that she could see it properly, Rose noticed that what looked like European Tudor architecture was actually dark red vines grown across tall, white buildings in angular patterns. The buildings varied in height, though there were no skyscrapers, and each was dotted with several doors, which were painted with symbols. Rose passed a door with a painted on top hat, a painted on drumstick, and a painted on scarf before it all clicked.

"So they're all shops? Whatever's drawn on is what they're selling?"

"Yep! Well. Mostly. Not like a drumstick shop has nothing but drumsticks. That one just means it's a restaurant. Or was it a butcher?" He pointed at a door with a question marked painted on it. "I've no idea what that one is."

Rose laughed and when the Doctor dropped his hand, she grabbed it, moving closer to him as they walked.

"So, you knew he'd do that too, then? Leaving us alone?" Rose asked, casting the Doctor a sidelong glance. His eyes widened, but she nudged his arm with her shoulder before he could start sputtering. "S'okay."

"He'll be right back. He wasn't lying."

"Right, but how fast can he be? It's probably an hour's walk, yeah? A bit of time to get the stuff, to drop it back in the TARDIS... What's that going to be? Two hours, swanning off? And on my first trip back?"

"Ish."

"I think he's avoiding me."

The Doctor adjusted his hand, twining their fingers together. After a few seconds, he said, "We do really need the Traemarium."

"You're dodging the question."

"You didn't ask me a question."

"Oh, god, you two are so… Fine. Is the other Doctor avoiding me?"

"Well."

She stopped and tugged his hand towards her, forcing him to slow his step and meet her eye. "Doctor."

He looked up, over her head, and then down at his feet. "...Not exactly?"

"What, then."

"Well, he just…" He scrunched up his nose. "You know what? I think this is betraying his confidence."

"What?" She squinted at him.

"He wouldn't want me telling you what he's thinking."

"You mean you don't want to tell me what you're thinking."

"Not always. But neither do you, Rose Tyler! Neither does anyone. And who can you trust to keep your secrets, if not yourself?"

"Oh, so there's a secret, is there?"

"I didn't say- Look, let's just say, we like to remain enigmatic."

She rolled her eyes, huffing, and walking again. "No problem there."

"Rose," he said, stopping her this time. "Do I know what he's thinking? Probably. It'll be harder to say as time goes on. The more experiences we have separately, the less identical we'll be, though most of our similarities are hard-wired. But… I don't think you'd want me telling you things he'd - we'd - be uncomfortable with you knowing, would you?"

"No, 'course not."

"And - iand/i - really, that puts me in the middle, doesn't it, between you two? Or, it's like I'm some sort of sentient Doctor-to-Rose translator device."

"I don't think of you as-"

"I know you don't. You've been… amazing. Absolutely brilliant. But pretend for a second we weren't both the Doctor, and we were, I dunno, Keisha and Mickey."

"Yeah, I get it. It's not fair to you. Nor him."

He nodded with a soft smile. "It's going to take some working out. How we all relate to each other."

"Yeah. You're right. God, I'm daft. I'm sorry."

He squeezed her hand, starting to walk again. "Now! Let's find him some specs, hm? Think I've got a credit stick in this suit somewhere."

* * *

The store with the glasses painted on the door did not, as it turned out, accept credit sticks, asking instead for Traemarian currency, which was made up of intricately carved wooden coins the general size and shape of poker chips. They walked through several streets searching for a currency exchange booth the Doctor swore he remembered from last time, but it was nowhere to be found.

When they returned to the shop, they had to settle for a barter, trading a glasses de-scratching spray that the Doctor found in his pocket for the specs. The shopkeeper had seemed pleased, at least, asking where in Nri the Doctor had found such a formula, and something passed over his face at the question, but his expression cleared a second later.

They left the shop hand in hand and the Doctor pulled her into a dim spot between two buildings, glancing back and forth before leaning in.

"Should've known from the people walking about, but… We're in pre-revolutionary Traemaria. They've not had offworld interaction yet."

"Oh. Is it safe?"

"Should be fine. We won't stay long, and we look like them. But you might want to turn off the walkie-talkie. They don't have offworld technology. Don't want to draw attention."

Rose opened her mouth to object, and he cupped her shoulder with his other hand.

"We can feel each other. We'd know, if the other was in danger. And he'll be able to find us."

"Yeah. Okay." Rose reached into the pocket of her hoodie and found the volume on the walkie-talkie, turning until it clicked off.

The Doctor released her shoulder. "Doesn't mean we can't have a bit of fun till he shows up, hm?"

They spent the next hour ambling through the busy city, talking and window shopping through a furniture store, a store filled with musical instruments, and a store filled with Traemarian pets, which were a variety of happy looking yellow lizards, ranging from the size of a gecko to the size of a komodo dragon. At the Doctor's prompting, Rose scratched the largest lizard under the chin and was surprised to see it close its eyes, letting out a purr to rival the most affectionate housecat.

Not long after her stomach began to growl, Rose and the Doctor stopped in front of a door with a doughnut painted on it, and he looked at her with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

"Think we might talk them into bartering for doughnuts?" the Doctor asked.

Rose shrugged, breaking into a grin. He grinned back at her and opened the door, pulling her inside.

After a few minutes of discussion with the sweet old lady behind the counter, they agreed on trading a banana in the Doctor's pocket, which he said came from the Traemarian outlands, for a selection of bite-sized doughnuts.

The shopkeeper had never seen a banana before and the grin that spread across her face as the Doctor demonstrated unpeeling it was the sweetest thing Rose had seen in a long time. The woman set to making a special banana filling immediately and scurried into the kitchen at the back of the shop, leaving the Doctor and Rose with their selections in the empty restaurant.

Sitting at a long table lining one wall of the shop, the Doctor laid a handkerchief on the table and broke each doughnut in two. He plucked one half of the redberry doughnut off the fabric, popping it into his mouth, and grinned around the bite. Lifting up the other half, he held it in her direction, and she rolled her eyes, grabbing it from him and sticking it in her mouth.

"'Course they're all jelly," Rose said, trailing a finger above the selection until she grabbed one with purple filling that looked particularly good and ate it in one bite.

"Oi, what's wrong with jelly?" he asked, wiping his mouth. He'd smeared a bit of red on his cheek and Rose laughed, leaning forward, wiping it off with her thumb, and sticking her thumb in her mouth before she could think twice. His eyes widened, but he smiled right away, and his expression was soft. He rolled another piece of doughnut closer to her. "Here. Try this one. Chocolate."

The yonberry doughnuts were their favorite and when they finished their platter they slipped out of the shop with a goodbye yelled towards the kitchen in the back. Her hands were incredibly sticky, until the Doctor managed to talk the shopkeeper around the corner to trade two wet wipes for a small bottle of glasses cleaner the Doctor found in his right pocket.

After checking out all of the shops on the main streets, they found a bench in the sun, and sat down, watching the people walk by.

"They all look human, Traemarians," Rose said. "But you said they've not had any off-world contact."

"They are, basically, but they're not of Earth-origin. It's a pretty typical look, humans. Time Lords. We come out this way because it works. It's a good design."

"Yeah."

Rose watched mums with prams, young couples holding hands, and the occasional elderly person plodding along with a cane. After a few moments, Rose shuffled in her seat, turning towards the Doctor and reaching for something to say.

"Do you know what they use for transport? Haven't seen any cars or horses or anything, and the road here was pretty empty."

"Oh! Good eye. Traemaria developed the short-range teleport at a very early point in their civilisation. Not many people actually live in Ahia, and certainly none in Nri. They all live out in the plains. Very rural. But they pop in instantaneously, when it's time for work or to do the shopping. The city's open all day and all night, people popping in and out."

He pointed at an open doorway - the first Rose had seen without an actual door - where people were streaming in and out. Above it hung a sign painted with a vortex-like symbol inside of a triangle.

"See that? Teleports. Some people have their own, but they're expensive."

Rose scrunched up her nose. "I wouldn't want to teleport everyday. Gives me a headache."

He looked at her for a second, then turned down the corners of his mouth. "Suppose they get used to it."

Silence crept in again and Rose stuck a hand into the pocket of her hoodie, running her fingers along the speaker of the walkie-talkie.

"An hour or two," she said, letting out a big sigh. "Don't need a watch to know it's definitely been longer than that."

The Doctor frowned. "I'm sorry, Rose. I don't know what's taking so long. Maybe he had to-"

An ear-splitting whoosh from above interrupted the Doctor, and Rose looked up in time to see a small spacecraft, on fire, shooting across the sky, its trajectory clear: it was going to pass the city, and then it was going to crash.

"Oh my god, come on!" Rose yelled, running after it. She looked over her shoulder to find the Doctor was following, lips moving, though she couldn't hear him over the noise. He stayed behind her as they ran, weaving through the Traemarians, most of whom had frozen, gaping up at the sky.

Finding the gates leading to the road between Ahia and Nri, Rose darted around it, turning and running straight into the plains, never taking her eyes off of the plummeting ship. Once they were in the open, the Doctor caught up to her, and she pumped her legs even harder.

The ship crashed several hundred metres ahead with a deafening noise. The ground shook, but Rose kept her pace, eyes on the flaming craft. Her concern for the passengers eclipsed all other thought until the jostling of the walkie-talkie reminded her of her link to the other Doctor, and she pulled it out of her pocket, switching it back on, pressing the button and shouting through short breaths, "A spacecraft's just crashed outside of Ahia. Get over here as soon as you can! People might be hurt!"

She jammed the receiver into the front pocket of her jeans and, approaching the ship, she surveyed the situation. It was shaped sort of like a small aeroplane, large enough for five or six people. One wing was buried into the white earth, and the windows in the hull of the ship were broken, fingers of flames dancing in the space the glass had left behind. Between the wing and the tail was an entrance, but the door was closed tight.

Rose ran around the wing of the craft, moving close to the entrance, but keeping enough distance to avoid the smoke.

"Doctor!" she yelled, but he was right behind her.

"Yep," he said, and pulled out his sonic, pointing it at the door. After a second, it popped open with a click and Rose chewed her lip, trying to see inside as the smoke billowed out.

"Let me," he said. "Respiratory bypass."

"You sure you've still got a respiratory bypass?"

He nodded. "Slightly diminished capacity, but I can hold my breath a lot longer than a human."

"Yeah. Okay. Go."

He nodded, then pulled a lapel of his jacket in front of his eyes and ducked inside. Once he disappeared, Rose chewed her thumb, paced, and tried to look into a window of the craft, narrowly ducking a face full of smoke. She called for the other Doctor on her walkie-talkie, but the line was totally silent.

Meanwhile, a small crowd of Traemarians was gathering, standing a ways back, and watching the ship with expressions of nervous awe. They were too far away for Rose to talk to without moving away from the ship, and there was no way she was doing that. But the sight of them calmed her, the knowledge that civilisation was nearby, that there were people she could call for help.

When the Doctor emerged, it was with two little green people, one slung over each shoulder. He held them in place with his looped arms, and his step onto the scorched grass was a little bit unsteady. Rose rushed forward, holding her arms out, but the Doctor moved past her, his steps even, and deposited first one person, then the other, onto the soft white grass.

"Are there more?" Rose asked. The Doctor shook his head.

As soon as the two aliens were on the ground, Rose joined them, scanning their faces and bodies for signs of obvious injury. They were familiar - the green skin, wide proportions, short stature, and basic humanoid features. One was a male and the other a female, and both were unconscious, faces lax, but they were breathing.

"Maglathians," Rose and the Doctor said together, then looked at one another, the Doctor's expression betraying a brief second of shock, before Rose snapped herself to her senses and leaned over the female. She looked to be the more injured party: her bare hands were covered in black ash, and there was a streak of dark blue blood across her face and neck.

"Is there any internal bleeding?" Rose asked, unzipping the steel grey, leather-like jacket from the female Maglathian.

"Ehm." The Doctor pulled out the sonic and scanned the male, quickly moving from head to toe, and then moved to Rose and did the same to the female. "No. No internal rupture. A few fractures and some burns, on the hands, but the injuries aren't life-threatening. Their clothing is fireproof."

"So it'll mainly be damage from smoke inhalation. Maybe concussion."

"Yeah," he said. "Unless their physiology is substantially different than most humanoids'."

"It's not."

"Are you-"

"They're the same. In Pete's World. I've met them before. Wait." She pressed her ear to the female's chest, then looked at the Doctor. "She's stopped breathing."

Leaning forward, Rose pressed her mouth against the female's and puffed twice, then compressing her chest quickly but firmly. The Doctor stood back, hovering over the male with his sonic, but Rose could feel his eyes on her. She worked on the Maglathian for what felt like several minutes, desperation slowly creeping in, but just when she was ready to stop, the woman coughed, jerking upward, although her eyes remained closed.

After watching her for several breaths, Rose moved away and the Doctor crouched down next to the female, scanning her again, and looked up at Rose with a huge grin on his face. "Her breathing is steady now."

Allowing a deep sigh of relief to escape her, which almost turned into a cough, Rose collapsed back onto her haunches on the grass. Her arms and legs felt like jelly, but euphoria was beginning to set in as she watched the Doctor pull off the male's jacket and check for any other surface injuries.

"Oxygen," Rose said after a second. "We should still get them oxygen. Have they got oxygen here?"

"Yes. At the capitol. The hospital's in the capitol. But we can't. We need to get them to the-"

"Oi!" Rose yelled at the growing crowd of people, who were still keeping their distance, watching the scene before them with a mixture of fear and naked interest. "Who has a teleport?"

No one spoke, and Rose growled in frustration, standing and marching a few steps closer, pointing her finger at a young man in the front of the crowd

"You. Have you got a teleport?"

The man licked his lips, looked away, but said nothing.

"Rose," the Doctor said, standing. "We need to get them back to the TARDIS. I can carry them. But we have to go-"

"iI/i have a teleport."

Rose turned to see a huge, muscular man in a military suit, with a bald head, thin mustache, and white gloved hands. His coat was adorned with a gavel symbol, stitched into the breast pocket. He came closer and Rose stepped aside, moving to stand next to the Doctor as the man evaluated the injured aliens.

"Please," she said. "You have to help them. Their ship crashed, and they're hurt. They need medical treatment. We can pay, whatever it costs."

The man's face hardened until it was set in deep lines and his cold, grey eyes didn't waver from the couple as he pulled a sleek, silver gun from the holster on his hip. He shot the male, then the female, each between the eyes. Then he turned in their direction.

Rose yelled, the words on her tongue blending together into a sound of pure outrage. She tried to step forward, but the Doctor grabbed her sleeve, stilling her, and grasped her hand in his. The man walked towards them, the gun in his hand hanging at his side. He regarded them with a cool expression.

"You're to come with me, now."


	4. Chapter 4

Betas: fadewithfury and rointheta  
Warning: Graphic violence

* * *

**Chapter Four**

* * *

"I'll ask you this again: who is funding the rebels?"

Rose met the man's eyes, her arms stretched out in front of her, fingers twined. "And I will tell you again, like I've been telling you for the last hour: I've no idea what you're talking about. I saw that ship crashing and I ran after it. I'm trained in emergency medical care and I was worried. That's it."

The bald man let out a sigh, shaking his head, and pulled out the chair opposite Rose, sitting down and propping his elbow against the shiny, white table between them. Rose's walkie talkie lay there, the man's arms on either side of it, and he picked it up, watching her. They sat in silence for several long moments. The man continued to stare, eyes calm and focussed, and spun the walkie talkie in one hand. It glinted in the stark overhead light every time the speaker side faced up.

There was a faint buzzing somewhere in the room, but that, and the sound of the man's fingers brushing against plastic, were all Rose could hear. She let her eyes glaze over, wondering where they'd taken the blue Doctor. Whether the other Doctor even had a clue anything was wrong.

Back at the ship, the bald man had grabbed the Doctor's arm with one hand and tapped his wrist with the other before they were swept away. The Doctor's hand had wrenched from hers as they'd teleported, and hers had felt cold ever since. The unpleasant, familiar feeling of non-linear movement, like a hypnagogic jerk, had sent her stumbling briefly into the arms of the Doctor. He'd looked at her with silent, beseeching eyes laden with the wordless promise he'd made a thousand times before: I will get us out of this. Then, she'd been pulled away from him, and shoved into a tiny, bright room.

They'd been through worse, when there was only one of him, when she hadn't the first clue about tactical manoeuvres and withstanding physical pain. They'd get through this too.

When the man dropped the walkie talkie on the table with a clack and leaned forward, Rose didn't flinch, didn't look away.

"We already know that you're in line with Airi and her crew, even if your communicator's been disabled. Your friend told us everything. Now, this will go a lot easier if you just tell us what you know. Tell us who's funding the rebels and whatever you know of Airi's plans, and we'll let you and your friend go."

Rose's eyes widened in detached amusement and she had to fight for a second to stifle a smile. "You see, that's impossible. Because neither me nor the Doctor have any clue who this Airi person is."

"We've got information on all the major players," he said, tapping the table. "Been building up our intelligence for years. We know Airi, and Diedru, and the rest of the rebel leaders. And we know you're new recruits. We know what a persuasive woman Airi is. No one would fault you for making a stupid decision and participating in that… ruse."

"Ruse?"

"Please." He rolled his eyes, then waved his hand. "The sympathy strategem. With the ship."

"That wasn't a ruse. Those Maglathians crashed here. Their ships aren't able to withstand the gravitational and magnetic pull of larger planets. They come from a tiny little moon with a tiny little atmosphere, and their equipment-" She stopped herself. "And you killed them. They were injured. Defenseless."

"The law is very clear." He narrowed his eyes. "Attempting to protect or house alien life is not only against the law; it's treason of the highest order. No matter what she would have you believe."

"Treason?"

"Don't act like you don't know the law."

"Bit of a dumb blonde. Humour me."

"Contact with aliens became treason when those... things burned the first twin cities and Capitol to the ground. Maybe only your grandparents are old enough to remember it now, but the Capitol doesn't forget. That ship, those aliens, they were a threat. All alien life is a threat to the safety and security of the Capitol. To act in their protection is treason, nothing less."

Rose shook her head. "There are peaceful species out there. Those people were harmless. They needed help and I helped them. The Doctor and I aren't part of some rebellion. We saw an emergency and we were trying to help. We don't know anything about this Airi person. That's all I can tell you."

"Peaceful species? I'm not here to talk propaganda. The Capitol monitors offworld activity, and warns approaching ships to leave our jurisdiction. But that ship didn't leave; it came directly into our atmosphere, not a mile outside Ahia. And there you were, ready to draw a crowd and save the 'poor, defenseless things.'"

"I'm telling you-"

"That level of staging took money. Took time to plan." The tendons in his neck and jaw bulged as he moved closer, body poised over the table, close enough for Rose to smell his breath. She forced herself to maintain eye contact and, finally, he leaned back again. "I want to know who's funding the rebellion, who's funding Airi and her followers."

"I keep telling you: the ship crashed because Maglathian ships are susceptible to the magnetic fields of large, oxygen-based planets."

"Right," the man said, crossing his arms and leaning back in the chair. "And who would know about alien races except for a rebel?"

She shook her head. "What exactly am I rebelling against?"

"Rebels, offworld relation advocates. Semantics." He sneered. "Either way, I'm sure I don't need to tell you that aiding, housing, or protecting alien life is punishable by death."

"What's your name?" Rose asked, sitting up straighter and toying with a wayward strand of hair.

"General Aesur Shaw. High commissioner for Capitol defense and security."

"Right. General. My name is Rose. I'm telling you that even though you didn't ask because I want to be really clear, here: I'm not part of any rebellion."

"Rose," Shaw said, offering her a smile. "I want to be really clear, too: you and your doctor friend will be executed, for attempting to save those aliens. Whether you're some deluded good samaritan or a rebel does not matter to me. You two are utterly unimportant. You can't protect the rebels, and you have exactly one shot at protecting yourself. The only way for you to save yourself, and your friend, is for you to tell me everything you know."

She let out a deep sigh, folding her arms. "So what happens if we don't talk?"

"Then you'll be transported to a holding cell and executed via electric shock tomorrow morning."

"A holding cell where?"

Shaw looked away, clicking his tongue once before speaking. "The tunnels beneath the Capitol."

"And that's where we are now, the Capitol."

"You're in the military police division of the Capitol defense headquarters."

"In that big building, though, yeah?"

"We're in the Capitol building, yes."

"And you just want information about the rebels. We give you that, we go free?"

"If you give me something I can use. Donors, funders, base locations, plans."

"Would you put both of us there, in the holding cell?"

"If you want to see your friend again, that's not the way to-"

"I'm just saying, I think it might help us decide what to do, the Doctor and me, if we had a chance to talk."

"After we've had a chance to question him more thoroughly, that can be arranged. If you cooperate."

"Then we'll think about it."

"You'll want to decide soon. I refuse to cater to the whims of low-level rebel fighters. Either you'll talk, or you'll die."

Rose looked away, glancing at the the corner of the room, where tawny, thick tiles met plain, white walls. After a moment, Shaw stood, brushing his jacket and trousers, and straightening his collar.

"I'll give you some time to consider your response while I talk to your friend."

He grabbed the walkie talkie, turned around, and rapped twice on the heavy metal door, which opened silently. Then he was gone.

* * *

She had no idea how much time had passed in the plain room, but it felt like hours. After checking for cameras, Rose had got out of her chair and scanned every tile, every square inch of wall and door, for some weakness, some means of exit, but there was nothing. She'd pressed her ear up against each wall, hoping to hear the voice of the Doctor, any Doctor, or at least something useful from Shaw or someone, but the room was quiet, apart from the buzz of the lights.

When Shaw returned, he opened the door himself.

Through the open door, Rose could see a bright chamber set in white and brown. Earlier, she'd only had a second to glance at it before Shaw had pulled her away from the Doctor and stuffed her inside the interrogation room. The chamber was wide open, like a cafeteria or an auditorium, but beyond that, she couldn't make out its purpose or its location within the Capitol. Rose stood in front of the table, craning her neck, and watched as men and women in military garb walked past in pairs, talking with heads huddled, not bothering to look inside.

"It's time for you to talk now," he said. Even though his voice was calm, his cheeks were flushed, red blotches against tanned skin, his hands in fists at his sides.

"I want to talk to the Doctor first."

"I've met with him. He wants you to tell me everything you know. Now."

"I will. But let us talk first. We'll tell you everything after."

"I told you: if you cooperate, you can see your friend. He told me everything. Now it's your turn. If the stories match up, then you can see him."

"That's not what you said before."

"What I said before is irrelevant. You'll tell me everything you know, and you'll do it now."

"You were willing, before. You said..." Rose narrowed her eyes. "Something changed. Was it the Doctor, did he-"

He growled in frustration, stepping inside and slamming the door behind him. He marched towards her and Rose stood taller, calmly watching, until he kicked her chair away with one foot and raised his hand, bringing it down hard, knuckles against her cheek. Rose stumbled back, catching herself on the table as sharp pain bloomed across her face, resonating into her neck and shoulders. Her vision went dark, and she saw nothing but scattered white blotches, like flashbulbs. She kept her head down as her sight cleared, and clenched her fists, fingers itching for a weapon or escape she didn't have.

"I do not have to justify myself," he said, voice low. "You are not protecting anyone with your silence and there is no one coming for you. Airi does not care if you live or die."

"I just want to talk to the Doctor," Rose said, her tone even. "Like you said before. Then we'll cooperate."

He went silent, and Rose kept her eyes on her trainers, ignoring the throbbing in her cheek and the way her field of vision in her right eye was starting to narrow. She was swelling already.

With a rough exhale through his nose, Shaw grabbed Rose's upper arm and pulled. His short nails bit into her hard enough to break the skin, but Rose kept her eyes ahead as he dragged her towards the door and rapped twice. It swung open and he pulled her through.

"Where are we going?"

He didn't answer. As soon as they were in the chamber again, he tapped his wrist, and the world shifted, disappearing around them. Shaw managed to keep hold of her, but she straightened up first and in a split second took note of their surroundings: low-lit, no one else around.

She used her weight to pull him in closer, nearly behind her, and before he could react, she stamped down hard on his instep, pulled his torso down, and smashed the back of her head into his nose. Hissing, Shaw let go of her arm and Rose ran. Before she rounded the nearest corner, she felt a shock go through her starting from her shoulder blade, and she went rigid as all of her muscles seized, the pain enough to make her yell.

Rose fell to the ground, her body completely rigid, but though she was unable to move, unable to speak, she was completely aware of her surroundings.

Shaw's footsteps sounded in the empty corridor and soon he came into view, his bald head, bloody nose, and detached expression backlit by the muted overhead lights.

"Enough," he said, crouching down, grabbing the front of Rose's hoodie, and hauling her up into a seated position.

He reeled his arm back and she saw a small device wrapped around his knuckles, black and stony looking with two small sensors. He pressed it to her neck and she felt her windpipe closing. She sputtered, gasping for air, but she couldn't move, couldn't fight, could only feel Shaw's tight grip against her chest, his knee jabbing into her side. Soon her vision grew hazy, Shaw's furious, red face blurring. Then, it darkened into nothing.

* * *

There was something soft and scratchy under her cheek and a warm, slight pressure against her waist. The side of her face exposed to the air was throbbing, hot and cold at the same time, and she turned her head, lifting a hand to touch where it hurt, but a cool and gentle hand grasped hers and pulled it away. It took her several seconds to remember where she was and why her face hurt. Then, it all clicked into place.

"Doctor?" Her voice was raspy.

"Easy," he said, as she started to sit up.

She opened her eyes and found her range of vision limited in her right eye. She could feel where swollen cheek met swollen eyelid, but it didn't seem like her actual eyesight was affected.

The Doctor in blue sat criss-cross next to her, his back against a dark stone wall. He trailed his hand from her waist to her back as she sat up, as though he expected her to need catching at any moment.

"I'm all right," she said. "Where are we?"

"All right? You've been out for almost five minutes."

"Is that all?" She coughed. "Felt like longer."

"You could have-" He stopped, then started again. "Are you feeling any nausea? Dizziness? Confusion?"

"Nausea, yeah."

"You should lie back down."

She sat up straighter, looking around. The room was about the size of a closet, totally barren but for a toilet in the corner. One wall was open to a corridor, and the bars of their jail cell were made of a material like a dark marble. The Doctor looked mostly unscathed, the only evidence that anything was amiss was the way his suit was awry: a small rip over one breast pocket, a few smudges of dirt on the trousers.

"Rose. Please lie down?"

"I'll be fine."

"They're holding us here until our execution. There's no way out. Well, there'd be an easy way out, with the sonic. Plain old latch lock, easy as pie. But they've taken the sonic, so we'll need to wait for the other Doctor. He's coming. Shouldn't be too hard, breaking us out, but there's not much to be done till he arrives. So you should rest."

Rose said nothing, swallowing against the scratchy burning in her throat.

"Rose. Lie back against the wall at least? Come here."

He moved his hand to her waist, and his fingers clenched against her as though he wanted to tug, but he didn't pull her toward him. She nodded after a second, then scooted back. A wave of nausea overtook her as her back hit the wall and she leaned into him, resting her good cheek just under his collar bone. He adjusted his position, supporting her, until his hand was on her upper arm.

"I'm sorry," he said after a moment. "I didn't know it'd be like this. If I'd had any idea the regime was this violent, I'd have taken us right back to the TARDIS as soon as I realised what time we were in."

"It's not your fault."

"Tell me if you hear a ringing in your ears or if you start to get a headache."

"Doctor, it's not your fault." She snuggled in closer, and, after a moment of hesitation, wrapped an arm around his waist. "I'm the one who ran after that ship."

He placed his hand over her forearm. "Of course you did. I did too. It was the right thing to do."

"Yeah."

She breathed slowly, focussing on the feel of wool and lean muscle beneath her, and the burning in her throat began to dissipate.

"Shaw hit you," the Doctor said.

"Yeah. You?"

"No."

"Huh. Bit of a coward, only hitting me, don't you reckon?"

"I saw his limp, when he brought you in here. He underestimated you."

She huffed. "Not really, knocking me out and all. Besides, that was after."

"After what?"

"When he hit me, it was in the interrogation room. Out of nowhere. He was-" She stopped herself.

"What?"

"Angry. I thought he'd let you and me talk, but he changed his mind." She shrugged. "Though suppose he did, in the end, huh?"

"And then he hit you."

"Yeah."

"What happened after that?"

"He dragged me off, and I tried to run, but he got me with a taser or something. Couldn't move at all. Then he used some sort of asphyxiation device on me. That's what knocked me out, not the smack."

She felt his body tense next to her. "Doctor?"

"Yeah." He sounded calm, even though she could feel the rigid set of his muscles against her side.

"You can tell… he's on his way right now?"

He let out a deep sigh, and some of the tension drained from him. "I can tell he's determined, and he's getting closer."

"Yeah?"

"It's at the back of my head, like an itch."

"I just wonder…" She frowned. "Shaw seemed so much angrier, when he came back. And here you are, in a holding cell. Thought maybe you'd escaped."

"There's open rebellion going on now."

"What, really?"

"Only in the last few hours. Protests in the streets. Suppose it's us who triggers their revolution." He exhaled. "Should've figured."

"How do you know?"

"I could hear people talking, out in the corridor, before Shaw teleported me here. Still got Time Lord hearing. Mostly, anyway."

"So he had bigger fish to fry, then, and we weren't talking. S'why he got fed up." She stretched out her legs, adjusting her position. "And the other Doctor's probably out there stirring up the protests."

"It's what I'd do. Create a diversion large enough to clear out the Capitol."

"Me too."

She sighed and tightened her grip around his waist. He squeezed her forearm in response. They sat together in a silence that gradually grew comfortable, and Rose began to feel warm, almost cosy. She let her thoughts drift, tempted to close her eyes, but resisted, knowing it would be dangerous to sleep while she was likely suffering from a concussion. She felt him crane his neck and look down at her face every so often and figured he was checking to make sure she kept her eyes open. The cell was silent, no hint of the rebellion above.

"Wait," Rose said.

"What?"

"I can hear it." She shifted, pressing her ear to his sternum. "Your one heart."

"Oh." He laughed softly, and she could feel the vibration against her ear. "Sound all right? It looked good on the sonic angiogram. Bloody inefficient, though, one heart. Could feel the difference when I ran."

"It must feel so slow."

She lifted her head and turned to face him and he released her forearm, but the fingers of his other hand tightened protectively against her side, letting go only when she turned too far for him to keep contact.

"Well. Sometimes." He smiled, but as he scanned her face, his smile faded, a shadow passing over his expression. "Can I…?"

"What?"

He lifted his free hand and brushed a strand of hair back that was hovering near her damaged cheek.

"Oh. Yeah. S'just bruised, I think. That Shaw pillock's got a weaker backhand than you'd think, stout as he is."

He leaned in closer, and traced his index and middle fingers from her eyebrow to her jaw, so gently that she could barely feel it.

"Can you see normally?"

"Can't see out of the corner of my eye, 'cause of the swelling, but otherwise, yeah."

"Any trouble focussing your eyes?" He lifted his hand between them. "Follow my finger."

"No. S'fine," she said, watching his index finger as it moved from her left to her right. "I'm fine, Doctor."

After a moment, he nodded, satisfied, and returned his hand to her face. He tilted her jaw upwards, trailing his fingers along the ticklish skin of her neck, and she fought back a shudder. His eyes darted from her cheek to meet her gaze, and something shifted between them. She turned her head towards him, lowering her chin slowly. His fingers moved with her, until they faced each other and his hand was loose and cool on her neck.

"No ringing in my ears," she said. "And the nausea's better now."

"Good," he said, clearing his throat. "That's good."

He was so close that she could feel his breath against her lips, soft and cool and faintly sweet from the doughnuts. She looked down at his mouth, at the bottom lip that stuck out a little too much, and worried her own with her teeth. When she glanced up at his eyes again, she found him staring at her, eyes dark and boundless, and her stomach flipped. He cupped her neck, his grip still gentle, but deliberate, and leaned in, very, very slowly.

Then, he kissed her.

He moved his lips sweetly against hers, the light pressure sending tickling sensations into her stomach. Her eyes slipped shut and she sighed against his mouth, winding a hand around his shoulder and holding him closer, though neither of them deepened the kiss. Their lips brushed again and again, but the kiss remained gentle and slow. Finally, they broke away, and the air was still. He rested his forehead against hers and when he sighed, it was a sound replete with relief.

She swallowed, eyes still shut. Now she was a little bit dizzy.

He brought his mouth to hers again, and she responded eagerly, shuffling towards him, tangling her hand in his hair, but he slowed them down, rubbing his hand from her neck to her shoulder in a soothing motion. After a moment, he broke away again, looking at her reverently, his eyes wide and a little glassy.

"Rose…"

Before she could answer, could even think of what she might say, there was a sound like a sudden gust of wind. They turned in tandem, looking out into the room beyond the black, marble bars, his hand still on her neck, hers in his hair.

"Hello," said the other Doctor, who stood next to a young woman with dark eyes and skin and light hair. "This is my friend Airi. We're here to rescue you. Pack your things!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

* * *

Rose jerked away from the Doctor, her hand running through his hair as she pulled it free and shoved it behind her back.

The brown suited Doctor kept his eyes in front of him as he quickly approached the door to their cell, sonic already outstretched. He pointed it at the lock, its buzz filled the room, and a second later, the door sprung open.

She turned to face him despite the adrenaline pumping through her system that was telling her to get up and run. He stood back in the corridor, but even from there Rose could see his eyes were gleaming with the sort of manic energy that foreshadowed the toppling of empires. At her movement, his eyes at last landed on her. His brow furrowed, eyes darkening, and he stepped closer to the doorway of the cell, his eyes darting to the Doctor in blue.

Rose looked away, eyes landing on her trainers, and she moved into a crouch, preparing to stand. The Doctor next to her noticed, jumping up and leaning towards her, offering a hand. She glanced between him and the Doctor in the doorway, who was still watching the Doctor in blue, his face set in lines of shadow from the bars of the cell, his expression stormy.

With only a second of hesitation, she grabbed his hand. He kept it steady and she pulled herself upright, managing not to sway.

"All right?" he asked, the words soft and close to her ear.

"Yeah. Thanks." She released his hand, meeting his concerned gaze for an instant, before moving towards the doorway of the small cell, feeling him follow.

There was no avoiding the other Doctor as she exited, perched as he was just outside the doorway, but she lifted her chin high and cast her eyes ahead towards Airi, who was still standing where they'd landed, observing the jailbreak with an air of detached impatience.

"Rose."

She turned, not knowing whose voice had sounded behind her. The Doctor in brown stepped toward her, eyes dark and trained on the right side of her face. Behind him, the other Doctor watched, jaw clenched.

"Let me?" He held up the sonic, but her stare remained on his wide eyes and furrowed brow, and she wondered how much he'd seen, what he was thinking, until he wiggled the sonic a bit and his words sunk in.

"Oh… Yeah. Yeah, sure."

He took a tiny step closer and moved the sonic close to her face, though it didn't touch her skin. It started to buzz, that particular muted sound she associated with the healing settings, and after a few seconds, the throbbing in her face cooled, her full range of vision returning to her eye.

With a terse nod, he side-stepped her and moved forward into the corridor, joining Airi.

Rose and the other Doctor followed and the four began walking down the corridor in silence until soon their pace was brisk. The corridor was dim and empty; it seemed to be the same one Rose had landed in when she'd tried to escape from Shaw.

"Where're we headed?" the Doctor asked, walking alongside Rose.

"Capitol broadcast room," the other replied, glancing back to look not at his counterpart, but at Rose, eyes flitting from her face to her feet as though he were analysing her gait.

"Where is it?" Rose asked.

"A few levels up."

"Have you got a message?"

"Not me. Airi." The Doctor jerked his head towards Airi, who was walking with purpose, half a step ahead of the rest of them.

"Can't we teleport there?" Rose asked.

"Not without the coordinates."

"But don't we have to worry about running into guards?"

"We've created a diversion," Airi said. "There's a massive protest happening on the outskirts of Nri."

They fell into silence, walking quickly, rounding corner after corner, the floor gradually beginning to incline, and though Rose didn't grab the hand of the Doctor next to her, she could feel the movement of air as his arm swung close to hers, as well as his eyes on her face.

"I'm fine," she said, without looking at him. He didn't respond.

The other Doctor spoke up a moment later, shooting another quick look at Rose before scanning the path ahead. "Airi, here, has been building a grassroots movement for the advancement of offworld relations for the last, oh, decade or so."

Airi turned her head to look at them, a small smile across her face, and gave a nod.

"Really?" Rose asked. "A decade? You look so…"

"Young? She is." The Doctor jerked his head towards her. "Peaceful alien lands in her backyard when she's… what was it, thirteen?"

Airi nodded again, eyes ahead.

"Emergency landing, of course. Back then, she didn't understand the law, not really, and the alien's young, and kind, and looks quite human - well, 'human,' relatively speaking. Traemarian, at any rate. Apart from the tail. She takes him in, in secret - gives him food, lets him stay in the shed on her family's land… Soon her family knows, then her village… And the brilliant thing is, they meet him! They talk to him; he's got a translator. And they see for themselves."

They rounded another corner and the Doctor continued.

"News spreads. It's that kind of revelation that just feels _right_: there're peaceful aliens. By the time she's old enough to understand what she's doing, she's already a grassroots leader, and a brilliant one at that. Got almost all of Ahia and Nri on her side, and that's _before_ they watched that general shoot two injured aliens after your emergency rescue."

"Grassroots. No giant rebel base, then?" Rose asked.

Airi turned her head towards Rose, making eye contact for a brief second before tilting her head back in laughter. It lit up her face and suddenly her sense of detachment, of that urgent mission statement, was gone, and Rose could see the type of sparkling, caring person Airi was. The kind of person who inspired people to listen, even when the message was treason.

"No," she said. "Got hardly a pittance among us."

"Giant rebel base?" The Doctor asked, voice high and nose scrunched. "Where'd you get that idea?"

"That general, Shaw, he's called…" Rose shrugged, watching as Airi's eyes narrowed in recognition of the name. "He thought there's someone funding you. That the crashed ship was part of some sort of conspiracy. S'what he wanted me and the Doctor to tell him about."

Airi slowed her pace until she was walking next to Rose, and the Time Lord Doctor was farthest ahead. "He was the one who hurt you, wasn't he? He's known for his temper."

"Don't worry. Been through worse." Rose gave her a small smile, then bumped Airi's shoulder with her own, grin blossoming. "Didn't tell him anything, though, I promise."

Airi laughed. "Thanks for that."

"Funding…" The part-human Doctor spoke up, and Rose turned to look at him as he narrowed his eyes in thought. "See, Shaw views the rebellion the way _he'd_ run one. No idea that it's not about funding, not about bases, not about secret conspiracies…"

"...It's just about showing people the truth, showing them they ought to care…" the other Doctor interjected, turning down the corners of his mouth and tilting his head. "That they already do, really."

"Anyway," he continued, holding the sonic in front of him with a shrewd look on his face and listening to its buzz. "It's been building for some time. Through the underground. Secret talks, messages. Telling people they trust, who tell others. Ahia and Nri are lovely cities. Some of the best in the galaxy, but… The people are a diaspora. It's the teleports that keep trade centralised. But that's not where people _live_. So they traveled through the villages. Kept it quiet, kept it away from the Capitol."

"That's amazing, though. Getting all that support yourself," Rose said.

"It was Diedru who did it." Airi smiled, her face lighting up as she said the name.

"Diedru?" Rose frowned. "Shaw mentioned him."

"They think he's another rebel leader, but he's never been that. He's just told his story. He's always been kind. That's all we ever needed. He could've gone home years ago," Airi said, shaking her head. "He fixed that transport pod long ago. But he wants to help. Wants to stop the Capitol. End the depression."

"Depression?" Rose asked.

"The Capitol taxes our products, our lands, our money… Everyone is poor. We spend the day in Ahia or Nri, where it's clean, and work, and then we go home to filth."

"That's awful."

"That's one argument even the sceptics can understand," Ahia said. "Offworld relations means offworld trade, means less poverty. That's what it's about, now. Helping people, because the offworld policy is just one problem. Diedru just shows people that the Capitol lies."

"But what happened today," Airi continued, looking at Rose, her face bright and animated, "That was… Incredible. I heard right away. Everyone's seen Diedru, heard what we have to say… But he's just one man. When you saved those two people today… They looked nothing like us, and still they were peaceful. Everyone saw: it's not just him. And they saw what it looks like, when species work together."

Rose smiled sadly. "They're called Maglathians. They're lovely people."

"What Shaw did…" Airi shook her head. "It's not the first time. We hope to one day put him on trial."

The Doctor stopped short, turning towards a small, unmarked door in the corridor. "Hold on a tick! Airi, is this it?"

"What?"

"Broadcast room?" He wiggled the sonic. "Got some wireless transmission signals emanating, right over here..."

She looked around the hallway, then at the door, as though she were retracing her steps. "I think so, yes."

"Brilliant. Stand back." The Doctor raised his eyebrows as he approached the door and held out his hand, the sonic taking on a higher buzzing. The lock released with a bang and he pulled the door open, gesturing for Airi to step inside. Rose and the other Doctor followed and he entered last, shutting the door and locking it behind him.

It was definitely a broadcast room. Though they had climbed several levels in the deserted corridors, they evidently hadn't reached the surface yet, as the room had no natural light. At its front was a small, open area, like a set. Cameras pointed at the centre of the room, similar to those Rose was familiar with on Earth. Beyond the stage and cameras was a huge array of monitors, all set to various feeds like different television channels. Most of them showed the Capitol, or stuffy looking men and women in military garb. Propaganda.

"What are the coordinates here?" Airi asked.

"Negative r, pi, six, twenty eight," the Doctor said without referencing anything in particular.

"What do you need the coordinates for?" Rose asked, walking towards a camera and craning her neck to look into the viewfinder.

"So Diedru can teleport here."

Rose's eyes widened. "You're bringing him here? To the Capitol?"

"It's me and him, together. We're going to tell those people at home who don't know about the rebellion that there are peaceful offworlders. We'll tell the ones who do know to keep fighting. And then we'll tell the Capitol that their time is up." Airi grinned. "And the Doctor's going to make sure it's broadcast across every station."

"Not a bad idea," the Doctor in blue said, trailing his hand along a monitor.

"She had the coordinates to the jail," the Time Lord Doctor said, sitting down at a chair in front of the largest monitor and tapping his fingers against a complicated keyboard in front of it. He looked at Rose. "Not a bad trade, all things considered."

"Could call it a win-win," the other said.

"Pardon me." Airi smiled at the three of them, then pulled a walkie-talkie from a small pocket in the front of her tunic. She turned away, moving towards the corner of the room.

"Just have to override the frequencies…" the Doctor said.

The Doctor in blue sat next to him and began typing on another section of the oversized keyboard. The one in brown glanced at his counterpart briefly, eyes shuttered, before focussing on the keys closest to him.

Rose leaned against the nearest wall and watched them work. They were hunched over with equally serious demeanors, and as they typed, each monitor began displaying the blank set before them.

"Ready when you are," the Doctor in brown said.

After a few seconds of silence, the room swirled with a sudden gust of wind and a man appeared next to Airi.

He was the same height as Airi, somewhat short, and very lithe, with deep tan skin and dark brown hair that curled past his shoulders. He looked only a few years older than Airi, but then Rose knew too well that might not mean anything. He was also beautiful, with dark eyes framed in darker lashes, a straight nose, and full lips.

"Hello Diedru," the Doctor said, jumping out of his chair and approaching the pair. "Pleasure to meet you. Heard a lot about you. You and Airi ready for the spotlight? Come over here, then."

The pair looked at each other, clearly communicating without words, and Diedru smiled, just a little thing. Airi let out a sigh and broke into that captivating smile. She grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the set. The Doctor turned several lights on, blanketing the stage in a warm glow, and moved back to the monitors, standing behind his twin.

"Got it from here," the part-human Doctor said without bothering to look at his twin. "Airi? When that blue light comes on over the camera, it means you're on."

The fluorescents dimmed, the blue light over the camera switched on, and Airi and Diedru stared into the camera, their quiet intimacy suddenly transformed into an air of serious entreatment. Airi was a natural leader, that was clear, but her charisma was rooted in her compassion, in her clear devotion to Diedru and the establishment of offworld contact. And Diedru was perfect: charming, gorgeous, quiet, and graceful. No one could say he resembled the noxious alien threat Shaw had warned of in the interrogation room.

Airi began speaking first, telling the story of how she found Diedru years ago, and then he shared the story of his homeworld, the mission he'd undertaken in his planet's youth service organisation, and his last minute jump into an emergency pod when the ship malfunctioned.

Even though the story was touching, and the passion and devotion between the pair was evident with every shared look and seamless shift in voice, Rose found herself staring at the Doctors.

The Time Lord stood with his hands in his pockets, his coat sleeves bunched up behind his wrists, and watched the stage. From where Rose stood, he was in profile, and the set lights cast a subtle glow on his face, highlighting his solemn air. Rose scanned from the top of his perfectly messy hair down to his dirty trainers, then found herself looking at his twin, whose matching expression was bathed in the light of the monitors as well as the light from the stage.

They were the same. Yet they weren't. She'd kissed one, and not the other.

In perfect synchronicity, both men turned to look at her, faces identical pictures of concern as their eyes flitted across her face. They glanced at each other, and then the Doctor in blue returned his focus to the keyboard in front of him. The other Doctor stepped over to her.

"You should sit," he said, voice quiet.

"I'm fine."

"_Or, _just a possibility, not saying for certain," he said in a slightly agitated whisper, "You've recently been injured and may have had a concussion, and then went for a brisk walk right afterwards and are probably overdue for a rest."

She glanced between the two men. The Doctor in the chair was sitting up very straight, his head inclined just the slightest bit in their direction.

"Fine," Rose said, making her way to the chair next to him and sitting down, "but don't make a habit of ganging up on me, yeah?"

The Doctor in blue shifted in his chair as she sat, giving her a warm, amused look, before turning back towards the monitors.

After Airi and Diedru finished telling the tale of how they'd met, and of his species' history of peaceful relations with foreign worlds, their demeanor grew serious, and each took turns rallying their supporters, urging them not to give up. Then, Airi directed her message at the Capitol itself, and Rose could tell that the message was reaching its finale.

"This fight is about more than offworlders," Airi said, her voice steady and sure. "It's about the corruption of the Capitol and the poverty of the people. It's time for the military regime to step down. The cities and surrounding villages are aligned in our support, and we are prepared to actively resist Capitol authority. When the regime steps down, we will establish a temporary governing council with elected representatives from each village. Thank you."

Airi's eyes shifted from the camera to the Doctor and with a nod he pressed a button that triggered the end of transmission across all monitors.

As soon as the broadcast was over, Airi let out a huge sigh that bubbled into a laugh and launched herself at Diedru, who gave her a hug. Rose smiled as she watched them. They were proper heroes, in tune with each other and proud of a mission accomplished. It was both familiar and suddenly very, very foreign.

A moment later, Rose was startled out of her reverie by the blue Doctor tapping her on the shoulder.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, fine."

"Think it's time we go, hm? We've done our part."

He extended his hand to her but she smiled tightly and shook her head, pushing out her chair and standing. Airi and Diedru were standing with the Doctor, chatting quietly, and all three looked up as they walked over.

"Diedru's offered to let us use his teleport. He'll get a ride back with Airi," the Doctor said. "Should just about have the capacity for three people. I've given it a little boost with the sonic. All ready?"

Rose nodded and caught eyes with Airi, who smiled and opened her arms for a hug. Rose stepped in and they squeezed each other tight.

"Good luck with everything," Rose said when she broke away. "Wish we could do more."

"You have no idea how much you've done already," Airi said. "Good luck to you too. It was a pleasure to meet three more peaceful offworlders."

Airi grabbed Diedru's hand and, with a final wave from both of them, she tapped the small device on her belt. There was a gust of wind and then they were gone.

The Doctors stepped closer to her until one was on each side.

"It might feel a bit worse than normal. Three's sort of a heavy load," the Doctor in blue said.

The other Doctor stuck his hand out and she grabbed it with her left, then took the part-human Doctor's with her right. She had just enough time to notice that one hand was a bit warmer when she was pulled into the familiar, nauseating jerk. She managed to keep hold of both men, terrified that if she let go of one, they might all become separated. When they landed, she stumbled, and the Doctors acted in tandem to keep her upright by bracing her with their grips.

They were right outside the TARDIS.

Around them, people were running, voices were yelling out orders from all sides, and there was smoke coming from the Ahian skyline. The Doctor in brown released her hand, turning to the TARDIS door and pulling out his key while the Doctor in blue kept his eyes trained on their surroundings. The door was open a second later and he stood next to it, watching Rose.

"They'll be okay, right?" she asked, hesitating, her eyes on the crowds of people running towards and away from the Capitol.

"Traemaria becomes a beacon of interplanetary relations," the Doctor in brown said.

"No. I mean Airi and Diedru."

There was a second of silence, and the Doctor behind her spoke. "We don't know."

"Right," Rose said, and she turned and walked into the TARDIS.

* * *

After the Doctors had dematerialised the TARDIS from Traemaria, Rose excused herself to use the toilet, shower, and change her clothes. She was knackered, but she also hadn't eaten anything since the doughnuts, which seemed like ages ago. She felt exhausted, emotionally and physically drained. Confused. And more than a bit thirsty.

Finding her way towards the kitchen in loose pyjama bottoms and a vest top, Rose wasn't terribly surprised to find the part-human Doctor waiting for her in the galley. He looked freshly showered, as well, with damp hair and a clean new suit, and without any of the scuff marks she'd seen earlier. He was seated at the table and when she walked in, he stood.

"Hello," he said.

"Hey. Where's…?"

"He's fixing the time phase oscillator."

"Oh, so he got the traemarium, then?"

"Yep. Before we got, er, imprisoned."

Rose scrunched up her nose. "But we had no money."

The Doctor shrugged. "Didn't stop us, did it?"

She chuckled, shrugging, and moved towards the refrigerator, pulling out some bread and cheese and a carton of juice. She poured herself a glass and made a quick cheese sandwich, taking a bite with the fridge still open. She could feel him hovering from across the room, feel his eyes on the back of her head like sun on a warm day. But he was quiet. She waited to turn around until she'd finished her sandwich and drunk the last of her juice.

He was standing closer than she expected, only a few steps away. His eyes were wide, his brows knitted upward, and his mouth was parted, as though he was trying to decide what to say next.

"Rose…"

Back on the TARDIS with another Doctor a few rooms away, it was like someone turning on the lights in the middle of the night: everything was too bright for her to see.

"I'm sorry. I can't." Staring at the floor in front of her, Rose fled the room.


	6. Chapter 6

Betas: FadeWithFury and Rointheta

* * *

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Rose's cheeks were burning, her hands clammy, her stomach in knots, by the time she got to her room and sat down on her bed.

She'd kissed the Doctor. A… Doctor. And he wanted to talk about it. She stood, paced the length of her room several times, and then stepped into her en suite, splashing her flushed face with cool water and blotting her skin dry.

She should go back out there. She should.

Forcing herself to move, she walked to her door. Stopped. Walked back to her bed. The thought of seeing his confused face, trying to figure out what to say… And what was _he_ about to say, before, exactly? It seemed too dangerous to find out.

She shook her head.

With a sigh of defeat, she collapsed onto her bed, curling onto her side and not bothering to grab the duvet where it lay at her feet. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to fall asleep.

* * *

Every time she closed her eyes she saw the dead Maglathians and the Doctors' concerned faces. She tossed and turned, kicked at the duvet, and eventually her restless thoughts merged into dreams of dead Doctors, to a hundred different dimensions with sulfur skies going dark, and no one to save the multitudes crying out.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she found herself wide awake in her dark room. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light provided by the strip under her door and she alternated between looking at the plain ceiling and and the dark shapes of her vanity and chest on far wall of her room. The humming of the TARDIS, the feel of the feathery soft mattress under her, the small, windowless room, were all stifling. The peace of the room was mocking her.

Sluggish, she pulled herself upright and placed her feet on the floor. Her body ached, her feet especially, so she found her way into some old, comfortable slippers. She padded out of her room and down the corridor, pointedly avoiding the galley as she passed it, even though she doubted that the Doctor would be up so late, relatively speaking.

Without paying much attention to where she was going, she found herself in the console room. It was chilly and empty and so, so quiet, but the feel of it was soothing, expansive, not like the small, dark bedroom had been. One grated panel near the side of the room was still propped open, but there were no tools around, no half-drunk cups of tea or sandwich crusts on discarded plates.

Rose made her way to the jump seat and sat down, toeing off her slippers, turning to the side and pulling her knees to her chest. She crossed her arms over them and rested her head on top, watching the time rotor bathe the room in gentle green light. After a few minutes, she felt her breathing slow..

She was half-asleep when she heard footsteps sounding down the corridor, and looked up in time to see the Doctor - the one in brown - entering the console room. Her stomach flipped and she averted her eyes as his widened almost imperceptibly.

"Hello," he said, crossing the room and heading towards the open panel of grating.

"Hello. Couldn't sleep, sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for," he said, plopping down on the floor and dangling his legs into the open section. "Don't mind me."

She let out a huff of breath through her nose, looking up at the rounded ceiling when she felt his eyes on her face. He pulled the sonic screwdriver from his jacket pocket and set it buzzing, leaning into the opening in the paneling and squinting. He held the sonic up to his ear, after, and frowned.

"Need any help?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Just going to take a few readings of the time phase oscillator every couple of hours, make sure the repairs have taken."

The room grew silent and Rose struggled for something to say. "How'd you buy the traemarium?"

"Oh." He glanced at her, then ducked his head again, staring down into the space left by the open panel. "I saw we were in the wrong time as soon as I got to Nri. Everyone was humanoid: dead giveaway. So I teleported back to the TARDIS coordinates from one of the public stalls and fished around till I found some stuff to barter, and then I walked back and made a few trades... Easy. Plus, on the bright side, traemarium cost peanuts before they started exporting it."

"So you knew right away, then."

He pursed his lips. "I didn't know how bad things were there. Didn't think their xenophobia would affect you. If I did… Well."

"The - other Doctor. He didn't realise right away. He made me turn off my walkie-talkie, when he did." She looked up at him. "Looked just like the one that Airi had. Think that's why Shaw was so sure I was lying."

"What did he do? Shaw," he asked, fixating on the sonic in that way that meant his attention was solely on her.

"He killed the Maglathians. I'm sure you heard. And then he took me and the other Doctor to separate interrogation rooms, and questioned us, and when the protests started, he put us in the execution room. And then you showed up."

"Rose."

"Look, it wasn't a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" His voice climbed an octave. "Right. Well, it was certainly a big _bruise_."

"He hit me, once. He also stunned me and knocked me out. And I'm fine, now. Not a scratch on me."

The Doctor huffed.

"I've been through worse."

"That's not actually making me feel better."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right, I'm sorry. I just meant… I'm fine."

He made a disapproving sound in the back of his throat.

"So when did you realise that we'd been…"

He rubbed a hand across his face, eyes darting away from her. "Right away, I suspect. I could feel something was wrong."

"What's that like, exactly…? He said it was like an itch, or something, at the back of his mind."

"I don't know that there's a better way to describe it, to a non-telepath."

"Oh. And how'd you find Airi?"

A smile curled at the edge of his lips. "Oh, that part was easy. After the way you saved the Maglathians… There were protests in the street, already. I just chatted a few of the rebels up, asked around about who their leader was. They introduced me right away. Suppose it helped that I looked just like the bloke who'd saved the aliens. Didn't take long to figure out that Airi and I both needed to get to the Capitol." He looked away again, and continued with barely a pause. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

She sighed. "Dunno. Just couldn't. I tried for ages. Slept a little. Then I just wanted to be out of my room."

"I have some tea that could help." He glanced up at her, face hesitant. "Non-narcotic. Herbal, from 62nd century New Franconia. If you like."

"No, s'alright, thanks. Just a stressful day. It's hard to turn it off sometimes." She tapped her temple.

He laughed, shaking his head.

"Suppose you know what that's like."

"A bit."

He caught her eye and they smiled at each other from across the room. For a second, it felt normal, but then her smile faltered, and he looked away.

"The other me is sleeping. Seems to do that a lot. Well. Compared to a Time Lord." Silence dragged on between them and he raised his eyebrows, shrugging, as though he was groping for something else to say. "Anyway, I've been put out. Homeless. Roomless, at any rate. Then again, it seemed rude, to have him make himself a new room, when I practically never…"

She swallowed, shifting on the jump seat, heat prickling across her skin.

"And it's one thing to be rude, but quite another to be rude to oneself. Though… I suppose I do have a history of that. Occasionally."

She forced a chuckle that faded too quickly. He went back to scrutinising the sonic and she shifted in her seat until her legs hung over the floor.

"Look- I'm sorry." She bit her lip as soon as the words left her and he glanced up at her, eyes sharp. She pressed on before she could stop herself. "You had to have… Seen. You had to. It wasn't… I wasn't… thinking."

"Rose-"

"And I'm not gonna choose, okay? I know you've been keeping your distance. I can tell. And… I don't want you to think that's what you should be doing. Keeping your distance. Making me.. Making it so I…" She stopped. "I'm not picking between you."

"Maybe you should." His voice was so soft she could barely make out the words, and he looked past her, behind her, as though he were trying to meet her eye, but couldn't quite do it.

"What?"

He said nothing.

"Doctor, if you have something to say, then say it."

"I don't." He scooted back, then stood, plopping the panel back into place with a loud 'twang'. "You should go back to bed. You sure you don't want that tea?"

"Doctor-" She untangled herself, groping with her feet for her slippers as he walked towards the corridor. "Wait!"

He stopped, back to her, shoulders tense. She got her slippers on at last and rushed over to him, moving to stand in front of him, to block his exit.

He looked down at the grating. "What is it."

"You can't just - act all weird, and avoid me, and run off the second we land, and tell me 'maybe I should' and then… swan off, again, now. You think I can't tell that you want me to be with the other you? That you think that's what's best for me?" She narrowed her eyes. "You were so happy, before, when I came back. And… Now look at you. You can hardly stand to be in the same room with me."

"That's not-"

"It's true. Don't say it's not. You're never around, and when you are you're being weird. Just… stop it. I'm not gonna choose. So stop acting like you're expecting me to."

He clenched his fists at his sides, and the anger that had fueled her outburst settled, leaving her feeling sad, instead.

"So I'm sorry. About before."

He met her eyes, brow furrowing as he took in her expression. "Really, Rose. You have nothing to be sorry about."

"Right. Good. So then you can stop avoiding me. Because I'm not choosing. I'm not." She pressed her lips together, then let out a heavy breath through her nose.

He nodded, jaw clenched, and made to move away. She caught his upper arm, fingers closing tight enough to alert him, but not to stop him from moving, not really. He looked down, and there was something helpless in his face, in the way his eyes were wide, his mouth tight. But as soon as their gazes met, his shuttered, and he took her hand with his free one, disentangling it from his arm and gently dropping at at her side.

"Doctor," Rose said, "I just want things to be … normal. With you and me."

He was quiet for a long moment. Her heartbeat felt too fast, too hard. She reached towards him again, then stopped herself.

"Doctor?"

"Everything's fine, Rose." He looked at her with blank eyes, a small, strained smile on his face. "Get some rest, all right?"

Her face fell as he turned and walked away.

* * *

She wound up in the media room, sprawled out on the plush, comfortable sofa with a throw blanket over her and a cushion beneath her cheek. Something about going back to her room didn't feel right, not after spending so much time restless in that bed. She managed a couple more hours of unsatisfying sleep, drifting in and out to alien infomercials, before she gave up and fetched herself some tea and toast.

The TARDIS was quiet, and it reminded Rose of her early days with her first Doctor, before it was a given that they'd spend her waking moments together. The Time Lord Doctor, wherever he'd fled to, was no longer in the console room. And the other Doctor was, for once, not waiting for her in the galley. She ate and drank in silence, scraping the burnt bits off of her toast with a butter knife and dumping her mug in the sink when she was down to the dregs.

After, she took her time walking back, half-hoping and half-dreading that she'd hear one of the Doctors. When she got back to the media room, she sat on the sofa, her back to the armrest and her legs stretched out in front of her, switching between channels until she found a film with a few familiar faces.

She was halfway through the sequel, and fully horizontal on the sofa, when she heard a quiet knocking on the door. Her stomach flipped and she sat up, adjusting the throw blanket on her lap, and called out a hasty "come in," holding her breath as she waited to see who it was.

"Hey," said the Doctor, opening the door just enough for her to see his head and his blue lapels. "Mind if I come in?"

"Sure." She offered a weak smile, sitting up straighter as he stepped inside and shut the door behind him.

He stood in front of her, blocking the telly, and stuck a hand into his hair almost immediately, looking up at the ceiling, then back down at her.

"Doctor-?"

He paced from one end of the room to the other, posture stiff, until he looked in her direction and blurted, "I'm sorry."

She laughed, and he narrowed his eyes at her, so she shook her head, smiling. "No - no, sorry. Not laughing at you. It's- something, um, else. But… Don't be sorry. I shouldn't have run away. I felt like a total arse about thirty seconds later."

"I shouldn't have pressed." He paced up and down again, then stopped in front of her and scrunched his nose. "Mind if I sit?"

She couldn't stop the smile spreading across her face, the way her heart sped up a little bit. "'Course not."

He sighed, looking relieved, and sat a good foot away from her on the sofa, angling his legs towards her and meeting her eye with his sure gaze. She looked at the space between them, and frowned, angling her knees in his direction. He didn't seem to notice.

"I kept saying that I know this is confusing for you." He rubbed the back of his neck. "So, naturally, the first thing I do is make a mess of everything. Rose, I'm so sorry for that."

"You didn't. Really." She shifted again, facing him fully. "I was… I just wasn't ready. To talk about it last night. Wasn't expecting that you'd-"

"What?"

"Want to. Talk about it."

"Not normally my strong suit, I suppose."

"You think?"

He laughed and relaxed his posture, leaning into the cushion behind him. They idly watched the screen for a moment, but Rose wasn't paying any attention to what was happening in the film. She could feel the way he was leaning closer to her, the way he was positioned so he could see her out of the corner of his eye, the way she could see him too. The atmosphere in the room gradually calmed, and for the first time since she'd fled the galley the night before, the edge of anxiety low in her stomach began to dissipate.

She hazarded a glance in his direction and found him watching her already.

"I am sorry, though," he said, voice quiet. "I shouldn't have rushed things. Not - not that there's a thing to rush. There's only a thing… if you - if you want a- thing." He frowned. "And now I'm absolutely going to stop saying 'thing.'"

"Doctor. It's really okay."

"I don't want you to feel like you're - like you need to make a choice. We don't have to rush anything. Or change anything at all, even."

She tilted her head, watching him. "Did you…"

"What?"

"Nothing. Just…" She bit her lip. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

He breathed out into a big smile and she matched it with her own. Eyeing the space between them, she shifted closer and, before she could talk herself out of it, put her head on his shoulder. He adjusted his position, looking down at her face, and when he wrapped his arm around her, she sighed and moved with him to lean her head on the hollow of his shoulder. She tucked her legs under her and, instead of watching the telly, let her eyes slip shut.

"Anything good?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"Hm?" She lifted her head, opening her eyes, and met his gaze. "Nah, it's rubbish. Change it if you want."

"Did you sleep last night?" he asked, studying her face.

"Barely."

"So rest."

She looked up at him through her eyelashes, and gave him a small smile before letting her head drop back down and her eyes fall shut again. He began rubbing up and down her arm, his fingers sending delicious waves of sensation through her scalp and down into her spine, and she felt herself start to drift off.

* * *

When she woke, her neck was stiff and her legs were entirely too warm, but waking up cuddled against the Doctor was, by far, the most peaceful way she could remember rousing in a very long time.

The first thing she saw as she opened her eyes was his face. His head was turned towards her, chin tucked near his clavicle, and his eyes were trained to hers, a small, tender smile on his face. She couldn't hear the television anymore. The air was still, as though the calm she felt was spreading into the room around her. She licked her lips and swallowed, watching as his eyes darted down to her mouth.

"Hello," he said, voice quiet and scratchy. "Sleep well?"

His face was so close to hers that she'd barely have to crane her neck to kiss him. She leaned in, and she could smell his breath, sweet and minty, with just a trace of tea. She could feel the warmth of it against her lips, and she remembered the soft, sweet feel of his mouth against hers. She wanted to let her eyes drift closed. She could see that his were drooping, like he was very relaxed, only his cheeks were tinged pink. The temptation to shut her eyes and press her lips to his was almost unbearable.

Instead, she inhaled, bracing herself, and sat up. He cleared his throat and she turned away, stretching her arms high above her head. Her back cracked, and she stood, taking several deep breaths. When she turned back to him, he was watching her, eyes careful.

"I-" Rose said.

"What?"

"I think I might…" She stopped and brought a hand up to chew on her thumbnail.

"You might what?" He watched her closely, face growing concerned.

"I need to talk to someone," she said, and the truth of it hit her as it poured out. "Someone who's not… you. Either you."

His mouth twitched, eyes lighting up. "Brilliant."

"Excuse me?"

"Rose Tyler, you are brilliant. Of course you should talk to someone."

"Yeah?" She looked down. "You're not… cross? Or hurt?"

"No. Rose, you've been amazing. Absolutely brilliant. And you should absolutely have someone to talk to who's not… Well. The Doctor."

He stood too, stretching his arms high and facing the telly. When he faced her again, it was after a deep exhale, and his cheeks still looked just a touch pink.

"So," he said. "Did you have someone in mind?"


End file.
